CAT Upholds CCP’s Deceptive Marketing Findings on Strepsils

The Competition Appellate Tribunal (CAT) has upheld an appeal filed by Reckitt Benckiser Pakistan Limited against the (CCP). The dispute arose from a complaint alleging that Reckitt Benckiser had been disseminating misleading information about its product, Strepsils.

The CCP found that Reckitt Benckiser violated Section 10(2)(b) of the Competition Act, 2010 by suggesting that Strepsils was a medicinal product for sore throat relief, despite it being deregistered as a drug and marketed as non-medicated. The CAT ordered the company to pay a penalty of Rs. 30 million and to comply with the Commission’s corrective measures.

The case highlighted significant changes in Reckitt Benckiser’s product packaging and disclosures following the CCP proceedings. The product is now registered as a food item, and its packaging prominently displays “Non-Medicated” in both English and Urdu. The company has been directed to publish these changes through advertisements in widely circulated newspapers until full compliance is achieved.