GSK Consumer Healthcare, which has been promoting Crocin Pain Relief, through mass media campaign learnt to have suspended the TV advertisements with immediate effect.

It is to be recalled that Pharmabiz had reported on March 3 that GSK Consumer Healthcare has been promoting Crocin Pain Relief, which contains paracetamol 650 mg and caffeine 50 mg as an OTC product through electronic media.

Though the company sources are yet to confirm the suspension of TV ads, the flashy advertisement is off from the mini-screen for the last one week. GSK spokesperson, when contacted, said that the TV campaign has been withdrawn due to a fresh media plan.

Crocin Pain Relief, which was launched as an over the counter (OTC) product in the third quarter of 2003 by GSK CH, is a brand extension of the popular acetaminophen tablet-- Crocin 500 of the company. Since then, the company was found promoting this product by resorting to massive print and electronic advertising.

While the media advertising apparently did not warn about the dangers of possible over consumption of the combination, the company in a recent letter to Pharmabiz had justified the promotion saying that "paracetamol is known to be a safe drug and is listed in Schedule K of the Drugs & Cosmetics Act as a home remedy and is an over the counter product."

However, the fact that the 56 drugs that have been listed in Schedule K of the D&C Act as eligible for exemptions under specific conditions, does not include a combination of paracetamol and caffeine. In addition, no drugs, which need a manufacturing and marketing licence, are allowed to make advertisements with claims for curing an illness or a disease condition.

The Crocin Pain Relief advertisement in the electronic media was loudly making the pain curing claims in vernacular languages without giving any warnings or patient advice. At the same time, the company as it is aware of the dangers of the abuse of the drug, has cautioned about the same on the product label. Thereby, the company itself is contradicting its statement "paracetamol is known to be a safe drug."

Ironically, though the over dosage of paracetamol, which is a potential cause for liver damage leading to even death, the company and the drug approval agency have still not bothered to restrict this paracetamol extra quantity and caffeine combination product in the prescription category yet.