ARHOVIN OMITTED FROM N. N. R.

Report of the Council on Pharmacy and Chemistry

Arhovin is a solution of dephenylamine, thymol benzoate and ethyl benzoate, marketed by Schering and Glatz, Inc. It was omitted from New and Non­official Remedies because the therapeutic claims made for the preparation were unwarranted and because the firm had refused to discontinue the distribution of the advertising which contained the objectionable claims prior to Jan. 1, 1919. When the report which appears below explaining the dismissal was submitted to Schering and Glatz, Inc., the firm again promised a revision of its advertising, but refused discontinuance of the objectionable circular before Jan. 1, 1920. Since Arhovin is still marketed with unwarranted therapeutic claims, the Council has authorized publication of this report.

W. A. Puckner, Secretary.

The attention of the firm Schering and Glatz, Inc., was called to misleading statements in its booklet for Arhovin in 1915, and in 1918 the firm was informed that unless the misleading statements were withdrawn before Jan. 1, 1919, Arhovin would be omitted from New and Non­official Remedies.

The following quotations are taken from the circular in question, and illustrate the character of the claims to which objection was made:

“Striking also is the antiphlogistic and anesthetic effect of Arhovin on the inflamed mucosae, an effect which, as all authorities agree, is far greater than that of all other internal anti-gonorrheaics.”

“Under its influence vesical and prostatic complications, gonorrheal arthritis, endocarditis, etc., are rarely incurred.”

References to the indexes of leading textbooks, including those of Meyer and Gottlieb, Cushny, Sollman and Bastedo, fails to show that Arhovin is so much as mentioned by those authors; hence, it is obviously false to state, as is done in the first of the quotations above, that all authors agree concerning the striking effects of Arhovin.

Many of the statements are objectionable by reason of the actions implied, rather than stated directly. The following are examples:

“Arhovin in Gonorrheal Infections of the Male Genito-Urinary Organs. Anterior Urethritis. This is the class of cases in which the most favorable results from Arhovin have been reported.”

“Posterior Urethritis.

“Here also the striking effects from Arhovin medication, both in acute and chronic cases, are rapid decrease of discharge, disappearance of gonococci from the secretion, and cessation of subjective difficulties, such as strangury.”

While the firm did not agree to withdraw the objectionable advertising before Jan. 1, 1919, which made necessary the omission of Arhovin from New and Non­official Remedies, 1919, it did submit a proposed folder in which the most objectionable of the claims are still made.

The following statement, which was in the proposed “folder” and is included in an advertising pamphlet sent out during 1919, serves to illustrate those points:

“Its action is three-fold:

“Strong antiseptic and bactericidal effect upon the urethral and vesical mucosae, highly conducive to shortening and palliation of the acute disease course.”

No evidence has been presented that Arhovin is capable of destroying the gono­coccus in the urethra, and consequently, the Council declared the recommendation for the use of Arhovin in the treatment of gonorrhea, by means of claims such as those just cited, is both misleading and dangerous.—(From Reports of Council on Pharmacy and Chemistry, 1919, p. 66)