Eli Lilly & co, the makers of the popular erectile dysfunction drug Cialis, was also found by Medicines Australia's Code of Conduct Committee to have issued a product-specific media statement in April this year.

However, the company escaped censure on a third charge, that of bringing discredit to the industry and reducing public confidence in it.

Despite the fine, Eli Lilly will not have to lodge corrective advertisements in trade or other media - as sometimes required after proven code breaches - as members of the committee decided such an order "would provide Eli Lilly with another opportunity to discuss the product with the general public".

Cialis competes directly with Pfizer's better-known drug Viagra , which is also used for erectile dysfunction.

The complaint was lodged over a press release issued by Eli Lilly in April, which was timed to coincide with the release of a new version of the drug called Cialis Once-a-Day.

The press release, headlined "New research reveals scheduled sex a turn-off", reported the results of a national Galaxy poll

commissioned by Eli Lilly & co -- which purported to show that 74 per cent of men said "spontaneity .. is an important part of sex". The poll also claimed that more than half of men aged 45 to 54 "admit .. that their ability to have sex on impulse has declined drastically or noticeably" since they turned 30.

The release linked the results to the launch of Cialis Once-a-Day, which it said would "(restore) their ability to respond to spontaneous opportunities for sex".