Reckitt Benckiser, a British-based consumer goods manufacturer were ordered by An Australian court to remove products in the Nurofen pain relief range from Supermarket shelves within three months, stating that Reckitt Benckiser misled consumers.
The court said products marketed to treat specific pains, such as migraines, and which were sold at double the price of their counterparts were too similar, if not identical to one another – in that each product contained the same active ingredient – ibuprofen lysine 342mg.
Manufacturer Reckitt Benckiser said the case related only to Australia. It added that the ruling would not be applicable in other countries, including the UK.
The products affected by the order include Nurofen Back Pain, Nurofen Period Pain, Nurofen Migraine Pain and Nurofen Tension Headache, and were accused of being “no more effective at treating the type of pain described on its packaging than any of the other Nurofen specific pain products.”