Guide des médicaments les plus courants
When in 1975, Le Seuil published Le Guide des médicaments les plus courants by Dr. Henri Pradal, the publisher knew they were running a risk.
Pradal, former executive in the pharmaceutical industry, revealed the true side effects of 100 of the most commonly prescribed medications to patients.
Protection of brands, risks of self-prescription, a ban on publicity for specialized pharmaceutical products: on these grounds, the pharmaceutical lobby tried to prevent the diffusion of the book.
In a first hearing, their plea was admissible. Then Le Seuil, supported by the Syndicat national de l’Edition, was able to commercialise the book once again.
The procedure ended in the Appeal Court, then the abandon of the case by the industry’s representatives.
Pradal’s Guide, which sold more than 550,000 copies, was an important case in establishing the consumer’s right to information.
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