Kenvue makes argument stick, winning row over wound dressing ad claims | Fierce Pharma

The National Advertising Division (NAD) has sided with Johnson & Johnson Consumer Inc (JJCI) in a row over ads for wound dressings, recommending ASO drop its “2x faster healing” claims for its hydrocolloid bandages.

JJCI brought a challenge against ASO through the NAD, a part of the nonprofit BBB National Programs that provides independent self-regulation and dispute-resolution services. The challenge centered on the claim of “up to 2x faster healing” that ASO made on media platforms, bandage packaging and retailer websites.

To support the claim, ASO said “hydrocolloids have been shown to heal minor cuts, scrapes, abrasions, lacerations, blisters and scalds up to 2x faster than a simple dry bandage” and cited a systematic review of wound-healing dressings from 2007.

The NAD said that “some consumers looking at ASO’s advertising might take away the message that the ‘up to 2x faster healing’ claim is a comparison between hydrocolloid bandages and traditional dry bandages.” In reviewing the data, the NAD found evidence that suggests hydrocolloids may speed the wound healing process but nothing to reasonably support ASO’s claim of such an advantage over dry bandages.

ASO provided no evidence of its own bandages’ relative healing times, the NAD said. In response, the ad watchdog ruled ASO lacks evidence to support the 2x faster statement and recommended it stop making the claim. ASO told the NAD it believes the claims are fully supported but agreed to comply with the call to stop using the 2x faster line.

JJCI also argued ASO’s claims falsely implied that the hydrocolloid bandages have premarket approval from the FDA as Class III medical devices. However, the NAD sided with ASO on that point, concluding there is no evidence that any of the challenged ads or claims reasonably conveyed such a message. JJCI, which is now an independent company called Kenvue, makes Band-Aid bandages.

Editor's note: This story was updated to clarify Kenvue's independent status.