Public reprimand for Vifor Pharma

Vifor Pharma has been publicly reprimanded for a second time by the Code of Practice
Appeal Board. The second public reprimand is for the company’s lack of progress at the
second re-audit (carried out in January 2022) required by the Appeal Board in relation to
Cases AUTH/3199/5/19 and AUTH/3224/7/19.

Both cases related to an exchange between a nurse and a Vifor representative who was
promoting Ferinject (ferric carboxymaltose for injection or infusion). Breaches of the Code
were ruled including Clause 2. The Panel also reported Vifor to the Appeal Board in both
cases in accordance with Paragraph 8.2 of the Constitution and Procedure.

The Appeal Board had previously required Vifor to be publicly remanded for its failure to
provide accurate and truthful information to the Code of Practice Panel and its disingenuous
approach to responding to the complaints (February 2021 - available on PMCPA website).
The Appeal Board had also required an audit of Vifor’s procedures in relation to the Code
and following this two further re-audits. The Appeal Board had twice requested that certain
senior employees should be invited to attend an Appeal Board meeting to discuss the
Appeal Board’s concerns.

At the consideration of the second re-audit, carried out in January 2022, the Appeal Board
decided that Vifor should be publicly reprimanded for a second time as noted above and reaudited.
Full details of both cases can be found on the PMCPA website.

Public reprimand