Cause of Action
The matter originated with an anonymous complaint, reportedly backed by documentary evidence, submitted to the Department of Pharmaceuticals (DoP). The complaint alleged that AbbVie Healthcare India Pvt. Ltd. had sponsored travel and accommodation for 30 doctors to attend the Aesthetics & Anti-Aging Medicine World Congress 2024, held in Monaco and Paris, misrepresenting these leisure trips as professional medical conferences.
In response, a Special Audit Committee was constituted in September 2024 to investigate the allegations. The audit, conducted by the DoP, confirmed that AbbVie had violated the Uniform Code for Pharmaceutical Marketing Practices (UCPMP) of both 2014 and 2024 by engaging in unethical promotional practices for products such as Botox and Juvederm (Reference 1).
Verdict
According to the ACPMP order (Reference 2) dated December 23, 2024,
“The results of the Special Audit validated that all facts mentioned in the complaint were accurate and that M/s. AbbVie was in breach of UCPMP 2014 and UCPMP 2024.”
The audit found that AbbVie incurred expenses exceeding ₹1.19 crore on these foreign trips, which violated the voluntary ethical guidelines outlined in the UCPMP (source).
Action Taken
Despite the findings (Reference 2), a May 8, 2025, media report highlighted that while the Apex Committee for Pharma Marketing Practices (ACPMP) had reprimanded AbbVie, the National Medical Commission (NMC) had yet to initiate any disciplinary proceedings against the doctors involved. Furthermore, an RTI response, reported by Medical Dialogues, revealed that the DoP did not direct any action against the doctors either.
The NMC reportedly stated that it had not received the names of the 30 doctors from the Department of Pharmaceuticals. This came in response to an RTI filed by Dr. Babu K.V., which had sought the list of doctors and details of disciplinary action under the Indian Medical Council (Professional Conduct, Etiquette and Ethics) Regulations, 2002.
Gaps
- In India, there is no statutory obligation for pharmaceutical companies or doctors to disclose details of sponsored conferences or who attended them publicly.
- The Uniform Code for Pharmaceutical Marketing Practices (UCPMP) is still voluntary, not legally binding as of 2025, but there have been ongoing calls and recommendations to make it legally binding.
- Nasim F. (2025, May 8), Medical Dialogues, website, para 3.
- Apex Committee Order dated 23.12.2024
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