The Prescrire Awards for 2008

The 2008 Prescrire Awards for Drugs, Packaging and Information

Twenty-five (50%) of the 50 new brand name products introduced to the market in France that we examined in 2008 were designed to treat cancer, HIV infection or rare diseases. None represented a major therapeutic advance. Line extensions making treatment more convenient included methadone capsules and a liquid form of metformin.
Marketing authorisation does not provide sufficient guarantees of safety and effectiveness. In 2008 we rated 23 new products as “Not acceptable” and advised our readers to avoid them.

Drug regulatory agencies were reluctant to take the necessary measures, such as refusal to grant marketing authorisation, to protect patients from exposure to drugs with negative risk-benefit balances.

Serious incidents involving contamination of certain batches of nelfinavir and heparin are reminders that the pharmaceutical industry needs to maintain the highest quality standards.

It is now clear that direct drug advertising to the public and healthcare professionals has negative public health consequences. However, it has not yet been banned.

In summary, deregulation continued in 2008. Only by maintaining pressure on the authorities and regulatory agencies can patients and healthcare professionals resist these negative trends.