Europe
“Overall, no unexpected/new data or findings” were presented to Germany's Expert Committee for Prescription in the most recent Rx-to-OTC switch application for sildenafil (25mg and 50mg), according to medicines regulator BfArM, resulting in a third rejection in three years.
“Protecting the environment is a shared responsibility. It is unfair to expect only two sectors to fund wastewater treatment modernization and operation,” argues AESGP director general Jurate Švarcaite.
Like many European firms, Stada Arzneimittel's 2024 earnings were held back by a soft cough, cold and flu season. However, key launches in its home market Germany and in the Middle East offset this impact and led to 3% organic growth for Stada's Consumer Healthcare business.
Maxwellia's “bold, honest, and completely unfiltered” campaign for Evana menstrual health brand tells the story of a woman dealing with the realities of a heavy period, showing “real blood, real leaks.”
HBW Insight catches up with Maxwellia CEO Anna Maxwell to discuss her company's journey so far, and what she sees as the opportunities for Rx-to-OTC switch in UK women's health and beyond.
Pirilieve Hayfever Relief Tablets contain 120mg fexofenadine hydrochloride, which the firm notes is an active ingredient that was “previously only available behind pharmacy counters.”
Advercheck managing director James Walmsley talks to HBW Insight about the challenges facing consumer health companies today as they move away from the prescription medicines sector and its pipeline of switchable ingredients towards self-care and prevention.
Almost two thirds (62%) of respondents to an online survey said they would rather buy non-prescription medicines in a local pharmacy than via a mail-order pharmacy, Pharma Deutschland reports.
Voltarol One A Day Muscle Pain Relief Medicated Plaster provides up to 24 hours relief from pain and inflammation, according to manufacturer Haleon.
HBW Insight speaks to AdverCheck managing director James Walmsley about the rise of direct-to-consumer prescription drugs marketing in the UK, and its impact on the consumer healthcare industry.
Energy, immunity and women's health supplements were in particular demand in 2024, according to French self-care industry association NèreS.
Available in UK pharmacies and supermarkets, Panmigrol’s “triple-action formulation” provides more effective migraine relief than standard ibuprofen or sumatriptan tablets, manufacturer Haleon claims.
At a recent European Parliament event, IPA Europe called on EU institutions to “prioritize proportional and coherent rules on the European probiotic food and food market, to ensure EU policies are fit for competitiveness.”
Cooper takes another step in its international expansion strategy through a partnership with Romania’s MagnaPharm for the distribution and commercialization of its self-care brand portfolio in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE).
Increased openness about sexual health and wellness, Rx-to-OTC switches and NPD at leading companies, and easy access to products online are driving the growth of Europe's sexual health market, according to Euromonitor International.
Electronic product information should be “fully operational” within four years after the entry into force of the revised EU pharma legislation and should precede the phasing out of paper leaflets, proposes the Inter-Association Taskforce (IATF) on ePI. Once the new system is up and running, ePI should be implemented across the EU in a harmonized way, with all EU member states adopting the same standard, it says.
“The SVA has missed an opportunity to make an important contribution to patient safety and to strengthening personal responsibility,” commented Pharma Deutschland deputy general manager Elmar Kroth.
With its new CanesMeno range, Bayer Consumer Health wants to help the estimated 13m women in the UK who are currently perimenopausal or menopausal.
The Aurelius-owned distributor will create a new business unit especially for this purpose, headed up by business director Patrik Hene.
OTC Medical is now the distributor in the Netherlands of Serrix’s self-care brands, including fungal nail brand Mycosan, zinc-based cold sore treatment SoreFiX and children’s skincare brand donttellmum.