It said products marketed
to treat specific pains, such as migraines, were identical to its standard Nurofen product despite being priced higher.
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| Nurofen |
The manufacturer, Reckitt Benckiser, said it would comply and that it "did not set out to mislead consumers".
Australia's consumer watchdog brought the matter to court earlier this year.
The Federal Court of Australia said the products must be taken off Australian shelves within three months.
The
products affected by the order include Nurofen Back Pain, Nurofen
Period Pain, Nurofen Migraine Pain and Nurofen Tension Headache.
The
retail price for each of the pain-specific products was also found to
be "significantly higher than that of other comparable analgesic
products which also act as general pain relievers," the Australian
Competition and Consumer Commission (ACC) said.
The watchdog
said the court had found each product "was formulated to treat a
particular type of pain; and solely or specifically treated a particular
type of pain" - but that each product contained the same active
ingredient, ibuprofen lysine 342mg.
However
the products were found to be "no more effective at treating the type
of pain described on its packaging than any of the other Nurofen
specific pain products."
Reckitt Benckiser is a British-based
consumer goods manufacturer and makes products including Nurofen, Dettol
and Harpic, among others.
It has been ordered to publish correction notices in newspapers and on its website and to pay the ACCC's court costs.
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