Procter & Gamble, sanofi-aventis denied US preliminary injunction over Boniva advertising

A US district judge denied Procter & Gamble's and sanofi-aventis' request for a preliminary injunction to halt advertising for osteoporosis drug Boniva, which is marketed by Roche and GlaxoSmithKline. In seeking the injunction, Procter & Gamble and sanofi alleged that Boniva ads falsely claimed that the drug had been proven to reduce non-spinal fractures.

"The court finds that Procter & Gamble has not demonstrated that the TV advertising, Web sites, sales aids and sales force detailing are false and misleading," US district court judge Paul Crotty ruled, Bloomberg reports. The judge added that there is "no doubt Boniva is a safe and effective drug which the FDA has approved for the treatment and prevention of osteoporosis in women," as reported in The Scotsman.

"We believe this preliminary ruling confirms what we've always known -- our advertising is truthful and appropriately reflects the available information about Boniva," noted Roche's vice president of commercial operations, Richard Hinson.

In January, Procter & Gamble and sanofi filed a lawsuit in a US court over false advertising claims for Boniva. In the suit, the drugmakers stated that data have shown Boniva to be only effective against spinal fractures, while Procter & Gamble's and sanofi's osteoporosis drug Actonel has been found to reduce the risk of spinal and other types of fractures such as hip, leg and wrist.

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