Record Number Of Mergers Forces US Regulatory Agencies’ Hand On Updating Enforcement Guides

Chairwoman Lina Khan says concerns about impact on consumer product markets from mergers prompted FTC, working with DoJ, to seek public input on modernizing federal merger guidelines to better detect and prevent illegal, anticompetitive deals in current markets.

Lina Khan's reputation for anti-trust enforcement preceded her appointment as Federal Trade Commission chairwoman in 2020. Mergers and other deals combining large companies across consumer product industries since then only have made protecting marketplace competition more of a priority.

On 18 January, Khan said concerns about the impact on consumer product markets from mergers prompted the FTC, working with the Department of Justice to seek public input on modernizing federal merger guidelines to better detect and prevent illegal, anticompetitive deals in current markets

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

12 May 2025

• 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

05 Feb 2025

• 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

13 Jan 2025

• 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."