Australia’s Wellnex Life Poised To Enter UK’s CHC Market

 
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Wellnex bringing brands such as Pain Away, Wakey Wakey and Nighty Night to UK market shortly after gaining admission to the the AIM market of the London Stock Exchange.

That Loud Noise Echoing In US OTC Hearing Aid Market? Merger Of Eargo And HearX

 

The firms recently announced they will operate as combined company LXE Hearing marketing Eargo’s namesake line and hearX’s Lexie brands. Eargo majority owner Patient Square Capital added $100m to its investment.

People On The Move: Appointments At Maxwellia, Nestlé, Alland & Robert

 
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A round-up of the latest European health & wellness market moves: Maxwellia names chief operating officer; Nestle appoints marketing & sales head; Alland & Robert gets deputy general manager.

Pharma Still Nervous While Riding Trump’s Tariff Rollercoaster

 

The rollout of Trump’s plan has been a policy whiplash, but despite a 90-day pause on tariffs, the US president still appears to be holding a grudge with industry over drug pricing.


KKR Expands Health & Beauty Portfolio With Deal For Sweden’s Karo

 
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Consumer health player Karo is changing hands from EQT to KKR in a deal thought to value the Stockholm-based firm at over €2.5bn.

‘The Only Certainty Is Uncertainty’ In The UK’s Consumer Health Market

 
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While uncertainty might reign in the UK consumer health market - which grew by by 8% to £4.1bn ($5.3bn) in 2024 - “opportunity is everywhere” according to NielsenIQ health and beauty insights manager Alex Heffernan.

France’s Boiron Looks To Future After Challenging Year

 
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The homeopathy specialist reported a big decline in profits in 2024 as a move to restructure its ailing French operation hit the bottom line.

Over The Counter: Evolving The UK Consumer Health Industry, With PAGB’s Michelle Riddalls

 
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HBW Insight catches up with PAGB CEO Michelle Riddalls to chat about the association's new five year plan. Riddalls also reflects on the successes of the last five years, including relaunching the UK Reclassification Alliance, which has published a list of Rx-to-OTC switches the government would like to see applications for. Part one of two.


Reducing Complexity Helps Weleda Break Sales Record

 
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Swiss firm reports highest revenues in its history as restructure pays off for its pharma and cosmetics businesses in 2024.

End Of Year Recovery Ensures Recordati’s OTC Business Keeps Growing

 
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Jump in cough & cold sales at the end of the year helps Recordati post higher OTC revenues for 2024.

Alfasigma Seeking Slice Of EU’s Largest OTC Market With German Launch

 
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Italy's Alfasigma has expanded its operation in Germany with the creation of a new Consumer Healthcare unit. Led by Rüdiger Hoppe, the business is rolling out OTC medical devices and dietary supplements in the gastrointestinal category.

People On The Move: Appointments At PAGB, Activ’Inside, EMA

 
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Round up of the latest appointments: PAGB names vice presidents; Activ'Inside gets first US head; EMA elects management board chair.


Over The Counter: What To Expect From The 61st AESGP Annual Meeting, With Jurate Švarcaite

 
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HBW Insight speaks to AESGP director general Jurate Švarcaite about what's on the agenda for the upcoming 61st AESGP Annual Meeting, which will take place in Warsaw, Poland, between 2-4 June. Highlights include the role of prevention in self-care, discussions about how regulators will ensure the competitiveness of European industry on the world stage and incoming changes to sustainability legislation.

People On The Move: Appointments At GSCF, Kenvue, Barentz

 
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A round-up of the latest consumer health industry appointments: GSCF elects chair; Kenvue hires Northern Europe head; Barentz names chief commercial officer.

Galenica OTC Goes From Strength To Strength At Home And Abroad

 
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Galenica outpaced the growth of the OTC market at home, while recording a double-digit gain abroad, to drive up its consumer health product sales in 2024.

Alliance Pharma Takeover Wins Shareholder Backing After Increased Offer

 
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Alliance shareholders overwhelmingly back takeover by DBAY Advisors after improved offer values UK-based firm at £362m.


New Product Launches Ensured Growth For Stada CHC In 2024

 
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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.

Bayer Consumer Health Outlook Accelerated By ‘Dynamic’ Cuts To Staff Layers, Efficiency Boost

 

Key growth driver in consumer health and across Bayer’s sectors, says CEO Bill Anderson, is “dynamic shared ownership program” introduced in January 2024 to "reduce hierarchies, eliminate bureaucracy, streamline structures and accelerate decision-making processes."

Maxwellia Launches UK TV Campaign For Evana Showing Reality Of Menstruation

 
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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.”

Over The Counter: Women’s Health Innovation And Beyond, With Maxwellia’s Anna Maxwell

 
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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.