CMA has been in ongoing discussions with the TGA on how the TGO 92 labelling order - which is due for final implementation in September 2020 - may be unintentionally causing negative and costly impacts upon brand logos, including locally or internationally registered trademarks, for complementary medicine sponsors.

We are very pleased to announce that through CMA advocacy, including direct CMA member involvement, the TGA have agreed to offer industry a specialised application process that is intended to provide relief to sponsors whose pre-existing brand logos or trademarks continue to be adversely affected. This specialised application process is being designed to be practical to achieve, and low in cost. It will help sponsors during the next few years, which allows the TGA additional time to examine more permanent options for additional branding flexibility for sponsors. Both the short term and long term processes will continue to have some conditions to ensure that the guiding principles of the TGO 92 – to have improved clarity of labels and medicine names for consumers – continue to be met.

Members should read the CMA technical alert here, if:-

• You have a brand name on your ARTG Certificate(s) of Listing and you think your brand logo might be affected by the TGO 92 requirements to have a continuous, uninterrupted, unbroken medicine name as part of Section 9(2) of the Order - this may include small graphics or taglines as part of your brand logo; and you would like to know more about the upcoming process; or

• Your brand name(s) are not included on the ARTG Certificates of Listings.

Please note this application process is not yet a public announcement by the TGA. They are working quickly to make these arrangements to help the complementary medicines industry on this branding issue. If you have any questions or comments, please contact us directly (Lucy.Lang@cmaustralia.org.au) rather than the TGA, until more information is published on their website.

Thanks for your ongoing support.