Advil, Spedifen, Nurofen… why advertising for ibuprofen 400 mg will soon be banned

L'ibuprofène 400 mg, le plus fort dosage, ne pourra plus faire l'objet de publicité, que ce soit à la télévision, sur Internet ou dans les média (photo d'illustration). Alain Delpey – MAXPPP

The National Medicines Safety Agency prohibits any promotion of ibuprofen 400 mg from April 2, 2024.

He is well known to the French. Ibuprofen 400 mg, this non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug, usually taken in cases of fever or pain, will no longer be promoted from April 2, 2024.

The National Medicines Agency (ANSM) announced this Thursday, February 8 that ibuprofen 400 mg, the highest dosage, could no longer be the subject of advertising, whether at television, on the Internet or in the media. This measure concerns Advil, Nurofen, Spedifen and generics, specifies Le Parisien. 

Serious side effects

Why this decision ? The drug can cause serious adverse effects such as gastrodigestive bleeding and kidney damage, states the national medicines agency. This measure aims to promote "better pedagogy for better use", explained the medical director of the ANSM, echoed by the Huffington Post. Available without a prescription, ibuprofen is said to be the most used anti-inflammatory in France.

Prioritize "the lowest possible dose"

This choice was made after "an overall analysis of all the advertisements" around the specialties based on ibuprofen 400 mg. According to the agency, these commercial communications "were not likely to encourage patients" to follow the proper use of these medications. These advertisements in favor of the 400 mg dosage have led to an increase in sales, even if they are a good reminder that we must favor "the lowest possible dose"< /em>.