Pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk has been suspended as a member of the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI) for two years.
The action has been taken by the ABPI Board following an investigation and appeals process conducted by the Prescription Medicines Code of Practice Authority (PMCPA). The Board found Novo Nordisk to be in breach of the ABPI Code of Practice, including Clause 2 which deals with actions ‘likely to bring discredit on, or reduce confidence in, the pharmaceutical industry’.
The suspension is the eighth occasion in the past 40 years the Board has issued a significant sanction. The company will continue to be subject to the ABPI Code and the jurisdiction of the PMCPA, but it will not be able to access the wider benefits of the ABPI membership, which includes access to any ABPI information and briefings, and it will be removed from all ABPI groups and the Board.
The Board has stipulated additional actions to demonstrate a return to industry compliance standards, including further audits of Novo Nordisk’s compliance performed by the PMCPA in late 2023 and 2024. These audits will need to show clear, significant and sustained improvement in industry standards in order for the Board to consider allowing the company to resume engagement with the ABPI at the end of the two-year suspension.
A spokesperson at Novo Nordisk has said, “Whilst we are disappointed with this outcome, we accept the decision. We will continue to strengthen our existing compliance framework and remain committed to following the ABPI Code of Practice and maintaining the highest possible standards required by the pharmaceutical industry. We continue to focus our efforts on achieving better outcomes for, and improving the lives of, patients living with serious chronic conditions.”