Delphi Centre, GSK and the TGA

This is so bizzare. You may recall one of my earlier posts regarding The Delphi Centre in Melbourne, Australia - they were allowing GlaxoSmithKline (and others) to blatantly advertise Aropax on their webpage. See HERE & HERE

I wrote to the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) - I think they are the equivalent of the MHRA and the FDA.

Now either the TGA are lying to me or are about as useful as a chocolate kettle!

Here is the email I received and underneath my subsequent response.

----- Original Message -----
From: TGA.Advertising@tga.gov.au
To: fiddaman
Sent: Wednesday, September 05, 2007 1:01 AM
Subject: Fw: Disgraceful behaviour [SEC=UNCLASSIFIED]

Dear Mr Fiddaman,

Thank you for your email of 4 September 2007. Upon review of the Delphi Centre homepage today, all advertisements for the product "Aropax" appear to have been removed.

For your information, the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) administers the Commonwealth Therapeutic Goods Act 1989 (the Act) and the Therapeutic Goods Regulations (available at www.tga.gov.au) which apply to therapeutic goods, and aim to ensure their quality, safety and efficacy. We do not have any regulatory control over sponsorship arrangements by drug companies provided individual products are not promoted. Thank you again for bringing this matter to the attention of the TGA.

Regards

Susan Anido Advertising Unit
Therapeutic Goods Administration

and my response...

----- Original Message -----
From: "fiddaman" fiddaman
To: TGA.Advertising@tga.gov.au
Sent: Wednesday, September 05, 2007 3:09 AM
Subject: Re: Disgraceful behaviour [SEC=UNCLASSIFIED]


Are you lying to me or do you just have incompotent staff?

It's just gone 3am here in the UK and a quick glimpse of the webpage shows that GSK are still blatantly advertising Aropax here -http://www.delphicentre.com.au/conference/sponsors.htm

I've taken 3 snapshots of the webpage too - see attached. What are you going to do about this?

Sincerely

Mr Robert Fiddaman



It is clear that both GlaxoSmithKline and the Delphi Centre are breaking the Australian Advertising law '

Therapeutic Goods Regulations (available at www.tga.gov.au) which apply to therapeutic goods, and aim to ensure their quality, safety and efficacy. We do not have any regulatory control over sponsorship arrangements by drug companies provided individual products are not promoted.

What on earth is going on here?