The Hungarian competition authority, Gazdasági Versenyhivatal (GVH), has fined Opella Healthcare Commercial Kft. 105 million HUF for not adhering to approved application guidelines in its advertising of Normaflore products.

The investigation, initiated in February 2025, revealed that Opella Healthcare made misleading claims in its television and social media advertisements for two Normaflore products between September 1, 2024, and January 6, 2025. The company claimed that the products contained 'SMART spores' and that 'up to 96% of the Normaflore SMART spores reach the intestines alive,' which exceeded the approved application guidelines.

The GVH determined that these statements constituted a violation of advertising regulations, leading to the imposed fine. The authority emphasized the importance of compliance with approved application guidelines when advertising over-the-counter medications.

The GVH is particularly focused on the market for over-the-counter drugs and has recently initiated two additional investigations concerning competition restrictions and abuse of dominance.