OTC antacid wars: SmithKline sues J&J/Merck for Pepcid AC comparative ads.
This article was originally published in The Tan Sheet
Executive Summary
SMITHKLINE CHALLENGES J&J/MERCK PEPCID AC AD CLAIMS that the H2 blocker provides nine hours of acid control and that health professionals recommend the J&J/Merck product over SmithKline's recently introduced Tagamet HB. In a complaint filed Aug. 25 in District Court for the Southern District of New York, SmithKline Beecham maintains that Pepcid AC "does not control acid for nine hours" and that this is "demonstrated by a number of published clinical studies," including studies conducted by J&J/Merck.