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Are Rx-To-OTC Switches Worth The Trouble? Yes They Are, IQVIA Data Shows

 
• By David Ridley

The holy grail of consumer health innovation, Rx-to-OTC switches, are costly and hard to pull off. So, are they worth the effort? An analysis by IQVIA of desloratadine, which was switched in Germany 2020 by Novartis subsidiary, Hexal, shows that they are, with sales of OTC desloratadine products growing 112% between 2019 and 2020. 

Sisyphus metaphor. Man rolling huge concrete ball up hill. Sisyphean work, task.
• Source: Shutterstock

Rx-to-OTC switches are the holy grail of consumer healthcare market innovation and growth. But they are hard work. They require huge investment on the part of firms.

A complicated switch in the US, for example, can cost anywhere in the region of $30m to $50m. (Also see...

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More from Europe

Haleon Study: Self-Care Policies Could Save Finland €60m Per Year

 
• By David Ridley

Creating a working group to drive Rx-to-OTC switch is one of the ways in which Finland could expand self-care and save €60m per year for the country's health system, suggests a recently published report commissioned by Haleon.

PAGB: UK Gov Must Invest In Self-Care To Realize ‘Untapped Potential’

 
• By David Ridley

Reacting to chancellor Rachel Reeves' 2025 public spending review, PAGB welcomed increased funding for healthcare and life sciences while stressing the need to promote self-care practices.

German Associations Call For EU Green Claims Directive Trilogue Suspension

 
• By David Ridley

Pharma Deutschland is one of 21 German associations calling for trilogue negotiations in relation to the EU Green Claims Directive to be suspended while a “comprehensive and independent written impact assessment” is undertaken.

Over The Counter: EU Omnibus And ESG, What You Need To Know, With CEN Group’s Jasper Crone

 
• By David Ridley

HBW Insight catches up with sustainability expert Jasper Crone to find out what consumer health companies need to know about the European Commission's Omnibus simplification package.

More from Geography

AESGP Annual Meeting: European OTC Market Outlook ‘Very Positive’ Thanks To Prevention Trend

 
• By David Ridley

The European OTC market grew at double the rate of the global market in the last twelve months, according to IQVIA Consumer Health, driven by a long-term trend for prevention. Consultancy Simon Kucher identifies a desire to live a longer, healthier life as the primary concern behind this trend.

AESGP Annual Meeting: Harmonizing EU VMS Max Levels Could Cost Sector Over €200m

 
• By David Ridley

Limited capacity and a two-to-three year timescale for reformulation could mean that many VMS supplements disappear from the market, warns EPPA partner Alexandra Bocquillion, speaking at the AESGP Annual Meeting in Warsaw, Poland.

EU Pharma Reform: Council Proposes Rx Exemption For Topical Antimicrobials

 
• By David Ridley

The EU Council has introduced a key amendment to Article 51 (para 1, point e) of the new pharma directive: “A medicinal product shall be subject to medical prescription where it is an antimicrobial, unless intended for topical use.”