Health leaders call for ban on Mundipharma amid growing ethical concerns

Pharma News: The Thoracic Society of Australia and New Zealand (TSANZ) and the Public Health Association of Australia (PHAA) have raised serious concerns about the hidden consequences of tobacco giant Philip Morris International’s (PMI) acquisition of medicine maker Vectura.

This year, Vectura’s partnership with Mundipharma to reformulate the asthma medication Flutiform has added a new layer of concern. Mundipharma, closely linked to the opioid crisis that has claimed over 600,000 lives globally, shares ownership ties with Purdue Pharma, a key player in the epidemic.

“This disturbing alliance undermines public health initiatives and perpetuates a destructive cycle where Big Tobacco profits from selling harmful products like cigarettes and e-cigarettes, only to profit again from selling treatments for the damage they cause,” said Professor Anne Holland, President of TSANZ.

She further emphasised the incompatibility of PMI’s corporate strategies with the mission of promoting lung health in Australia and New Zealand.

“Our medical and scientific communities must now confront the implications of Vectura’s integration into PMI and its collusion with Mundipharma,” Professor Holland added.

Vincent So, CEO of TSANZ, painted a stark picture of PMI’s tactics.

“Philip Morris International’s approach with Vectura is akin to setting a neighbour’s house on fire and then selling them the water to extinguish it,” he stated.

So also highlighted the need for scrutiny of the public health and medical community’s engagement with Mundipharma, given its ties to Purdue Pharma.

“Mundipharma’s ties to Purdue Pharma, infamous for its role in the opioid crisis, further necessitate scrutiny of the public health and medical community’s engagement with this company. Both are owned by the Sackler family, whose business practices have inflicted widespread harm,” he continued.

Since October 2021, the TSANZ along with other members of the Lung Health Alliance, have refused to engage with any entities forming new partnerships with the Vectura group. Mundipharma is the first pharmaceutical company to cross this red line.

The TSANZ and the Public Health Association have jointly extended this ban to Mundipharma across all its business lines, emphasising the need to uphold the highest standards of patient care and ethical responsibility.

The organisations are now calling on all medical societies and health organisations to support their efforts in ceasing partnerships with Mundipharma.

“By taking a decisive stand against the entanglement of healthcare with tobacco profits, we reaffirm our commitment to a future where public health remains untainted by the legacy of tobacco and e-cigarettes,” said Adjunct Professor Terry Slevin, CEO of Public Health Association of Australia (PHAA).

“Together, we can navigate these complex ethical challenges and continue to champion the wellbeing of patients, advancing public health outcomes,” Professor Slevin concluded with a call to action.

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