The company that sells Nurofen has been fined more than $1 million for misleading consumers about its specific pain products.
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The Federal Court previously decided that Reckitt Beckinser, which sells market-leading ibuprofen medication including Nurofen Specific Pain Relief products, had engaged in misleading conduct by advertising that its products were specifically formulated to treat back pain, period pain, migraine pain and tension headaches, when they all had the same active ingredient.
"None of the four products is any more or less effective than the others in treating any of the particular symptoms," Justice James Edelman said on Friday.
Justice Edelman ordered the company to pay the Commonwealth $1,700,000 in the next month. The penalty comes closer to the $1.1 million Reckitt Beckinser had argued it should pay than the ACCC's proposed penalty of $6 million.
A spokeswoman for Nurofen acknowledged the court's decision and said: "Nurofen did not intend to mislead consumers, however we recognise that we could have done more to assist our consumers in navigating the Nurofen Specific Pain Range. That is, to show that each of the products in the range is equally effective for the other pains indicated on the Nurofen Specific Pain Range packaging."
More to come
Fairfax Media