Diana Mansour1 makes eight points about the articles in the October 2010 issue of the Journal on subdermal implants.2 3 I will respond to each of them in turn.

1. It is correct that Leiras (the pharmaceutical division of Huhtamäki Oy) manufactured Norplant®. With some pharmaceutical products the manufacturer is the same as the marketing authorisation holder and with some it is not. At the time of design of the cascade training programme prior to launch and at launch of Norplant in 1993, the marketing authorisation holder was Roussel Laboratories. The company subsequently became Hoechst Roussel and later Hoechst Marion Roussel. Mergers and takeovers are routine in the pharmaceutical industry. Regarding the timing of the demise of Norplant in the UK, Hoechst Marion Roussel withdrew Norplant from the market in April 1999. Implanon® was not launched until September 1999.

2. It is correct that the instructions for Norplant insertion did not mention the biceps/triceps groove. Nevertheless, there …