Geography

Proposed administrative order likely is first to prompt opposition from OTC industry or other stakeholders potentially delaying or deferring the agency’s expectation for moving its proposal to a deemed final order effective one year after it would be published.

Qnovia notes NRT inhalation product recently received investigational new drug clearance from FDA as agency and NIH say innovation needed smoking cessation to help improve rate of success for quitting the habit that kills around 500,000 US consumers annually.

The Washington State Department of Ecology will try to work with companies that violate the Toxic Free Cosmetics Act, rather than reflexively imposing the $5,000-per-violation fine for first-time offenders, says the law’s implementation planner. She noted financial assistance is available for small businesses, as well as incentives for companies adopting measures “beyond compliance.”

US FDA Office of New Drugs Director Peter Stein says review divisions have made the case that a discussion-only meeting would solicit the necessary input.

OTC private label/store brand product giant’s Q2 net sales down 10.7% to $1.1bn, but women’s health product sales jump 31.4% largely on Opill launched late in Q1. Biggest hit to results from infant formula business, down a reported 82% due to ongoing manufacturing quality-control remediation.

Perrigo spares little about Opill’s launch, advertising and outlook in Q1 earnings briefing, but management also makes clear it’s a large firm and some other segments of its global consumer health products business are holding back overall results.

Direct seller reports Q1 sales up 1% to $1.3bn but net sales off 17.1% from year-ago period to $24.3m. Its distributor ranks jumped so far in 2024, particularly in China, where changes were made in the past year including new company leadership.

Personal care and cosmetic product trademark filings compiled from the Official Gazette of the US Patent and Trademark Office, Class 3.

Winners across 12 categories were announced at the OTC Marketing Awards 2024 on 21 November, with Opella taking the top prize as OTC Company of the Year.

The EU’s health nominee may not be as controversial as the recent US one, but the candidate being grilled has proved the least popular of the commissioner nominations with MEPs

OTC antifungal fluconazole will soon only be available with a doctor's prescription in Norway.

Over five years, the cost of the European Commission's proposal could exceed a total €50bn, finds a study by IQVIA commissioned by the AESGP.

Self-care industry representatives from GSCF/AESGP, Bayer and Opella stress the seriousness of the global climate crisis at the 2024 GSCF, APSMI, TSMIA Joint Congress in Bangkok, Thailand, and also share iniatives that are attempting to deal with this crisis, for example replacing PVC in medicine blister packs with more easily recyclable materials.

GSCF research shows that self-care already saves the Asia Pacific region more than $30bn a year in healthcare system costs. To realize higher gains, health literacy, Rx-to-OTC switch and digitalization need to be leveraged, according to the EU-ASEAN Business Council.

APAC health agencies such as WHO and Thailand's FDA are on board with the self-care agenda, and see it as crucial to achieving universal health coverage.

A round-up of recent consumer health appointments: PharmaSGP names new CEO; Stada appoints Vietnam head; NèreS adds to board.

A slowdown in China and the US, along with signs of a weaker cough & cold season in the latter, has led Bayer Consumer Health to lower its full-year sales guidance.

Proposed administrative order likely is first to prompt opposition from OTC industry or other stakeholders potentially delaying or deferring the agency’s expectation for moving its proposal to a deemed final order effective one year after it would be published.

Haleon highlighted consistent market share gains in China as it reported third-quarter results.

French public sector investment bank Bpifrance's influence over the future strategy of Opella extends to its one seat on the company's board, but not past that, Sanofi confirms as it reports Q3 results.