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Bayer Fortifies Branding In OTC Naproxen Market With Win In Trademark Litigation

 
• By Eileen Francis

Bayer convinces federal court to affirm USPTO appeal board decision to cancel competitor Belmora’s Flanax US naproxen product trademark because the firm used packaging that resembled a Bayer product with the same name sold in Mexico. The ruling could provide standing for owners of foreign marks to assert priority rights over similar US marks, according to a patent attorney.

Bayer AG gained some protection for its OTC naproxen brands in both the US and in Mexico as a federal court upheld a US Patent and Trademark Office board's ruling that a competitor's US trademark for a product marketed to Hispanic consumers too closely resembled one Bayer has for a similar product in Mexico.

Judge Claude Hilton on Sept

The USPTO board had found that not only did the firms' naproxen products have the same Flanax brand but that Belmorsa’s early packaging for its product copied Bayer’s product that has been available for a longer period in Mexico

More from International

New Zealand Could Become First Country To Offer Gout Drug Allopurinol OTC

 
• By David Ridley

At the second attempt, New Zealand’s Medicines Classification Committee supported the Rx-to-OTC switch of allopurinol (100mg and 300mg) for people suffering from gout by specifically trained pharmacists.

Stada Expands Oilatum Range To Meet Saudi Arabia’s Skin-Care Needs

 
• By David Ridley

Stada launches nine new Oilatum products in Saudi Arabia including “rich moisturising creams for intense hydration, gentle body washes for daily cleansing, and baby-specific products like soothing bath bubbles and head-to-toe wash.”

Bayer And GSCF Paper Outlines ‘Practical Actions’ For Scaling Self-Care Globally

 
• By David Ridley

Bayer Consumer Health, the Global Self-Care Federation and the Business Council for International Understanding outline in a paper how industry can work with multilateral organizations, governments, financial institutions, and stakeholders to "recognize and champion self-care as a fundamental driver of global health progress."

UK Honors PAGB’s Riddalls And ISF’s Webber For Self-Care Service

 
• By David Ridley

PAGB CEO Michelle Riddalls and ISF president emeritus David Webber have been awarded OBEs for their services to consumer health and self-care.

More from Geography

US Tariffs Pose ‘Existential Threat’ To EU Medical Devices Industry

 
• By David Ridley

AESGP, MedTech Europe and other associations representing medtech companies including manufacturers of self-care devices call for such products to be included in European Commission proposals for “zero-for-zero” trade in industrial goods between Europe and the US.

OTCs Are ‘Beacon Of Hope’ For Austrian Pharmacy

 
• By David Ridley

Just under half of Austrian pharmacists surveyed by Elpato Medien are “convinced that the OTC business will ensure the survival of their pharmacy.”

Melatonin And Buccal Acyclovir On German Switch Committee Agenda

 
• By David Ridley

An application for melatonin as an OTC medicine is on the agenda for the next German switch committee meeting, despite the hormone being widely available in food supplements. Acyclovir as a buccal tablet and second-generation antihistamine rupatadine are also up for discussion.