MSD Italy is criticised for threatening legal action over prescription advice to GPs

The Italian branch of the drug company Merck Sharp and Dohme (MSD) has stopped a leading public health doctor and administrator from circulating texts to GPs advising them about the use of one of the company’s drugs.

In the texts, Alberto Donzelli—the head of education, appropriateness, and evidence based medicine at the public health authority of Milan (Milan Healthcare)—had analysed the published evidence on the cholesterol lowering drug ezetimibe and discouraged its prescription in addition to statins.

A letter telling Donzelli to “cease and desist” was sent in February by MSD’s medical director, Patrizia Nardini, and was cosigned by the company’s director of legal affairs. They accused Donzelli of serious misconduct and a breach of …