Startups & SMEs

UK’s Maxwellia Looking For £2m Investment To Fuel ‘Next Phase Of Rapid Growth’

 
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Maxwellia is inviting 100 investors to contribute to the “development of new healthcare solutions that will benefit millions, while also playing a role in shaping the future of self-care.”

‘Inside Regulatory Affairs’ With AdverCheck’s Lucy Rochford And James Walmsley

 
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In this instalment of HBW Insight’s “Inside Regulatory Affairs” series, AdverCheck managing directors Lucy Rochford and James Walmsley describe how the consumer health industry is increasingly outsourcing its advertising copy review as it moves closer to the fast-moving consumer goods sector. They also point to a worrying trend in the UK of advertising prescription-only medicines online.

US Eroxon Launch In October Will Mark Haleon’s First Foray Into Sexual Health

 
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Haleon will launch Futura Medical's FDA-approved OTC medical device for erectile dysfunction in the US before the end of the year. Already available to pre-order online on Amazon, Eroxon represents the firm's first move into the sexual health category. 

German, California Firms Offer Digital Access To Mental Health Content For Menstrual Cycle, Fertility

 

Clue Plus members will have access to 50% off a Headspace subscription for tailored guidance, support and validation to help manage cycle-related stress and improve overall well-being.


UK’s Maxwellia Uses High-Tech Hologram To Promote Period Pain Brand Ultravana

 
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Commuters travelling through London's Waterloo train station this month witnessed Maxwellia's menstrual health brand Ultravana promoted via Disturbed Media Group's spectacular 3D hologram technology. 

EU Green Claims Directive: Council Wants Lighter Touch, Especially For SMEs

 
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The European Council adopts its negotiating position with regards to the Green Claims Directive, which aims to prevent greenwashing and empower consumers in making informed, environmentally conscious purchasing decisions. While small and medium-sized enterprises stand to specifically benefit from the Council's more flexible approach, companies in general may be allowed to make certain explicit environmental claims without third-party verification.

UK Medical Device Firm Owen Mumford Launches Pelvic Health Consumer Brand

 
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UK medical devices manufacturer Owen Mumford moves into consumer health with umbrella brand Clariti and OTC relaunch of at-home vaginismus and dyspareunia treatment Amielle Comfort.

Get To Know: Fast-Growing, Stigma-Busting, ‘Omnichannel Thinking’ Karo Healthcare

 
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Karo Healthcare has big plans for its expanding range of global OTC brands, the firm reveals in this exclusive Q&A. 


Create ‘Meaningful Differences’ To Make OTC Brands Stand Out, Ceuta Advises

 
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Relevance, distinctiveness and credibility all matter when it comes to positioning OTC brands to grow within a crowded shelf and sluggish market, argue IQVIA Consumer Health and Ceuta Group in a recent webinar.

ASA Files: Denigrating Competitors ‘Isn’t A Good Look’ For Advertisers

 
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Bayer Consumer Health and its effervescent vitamin brand Berocca were subjects of denigratory remarks by an online competitor in a recent UK advertising complaint ruling. The ASA’s Freddie Alcock talks HBW Insight through the complaint, explaining in this exclusive interview why denigration is never a good look for advertisers.

Over The Counter: How To Grow A Consumer Health Brand, With TheOTCLab’s Albert Swane

 
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Focus and persistence are the keys to successful brand and company growth, according to TheOTCLab's founder and CEO Albert Swane, speaking to HBW Insight's Over The Counter podcast. 

Haleon ‘Tight Lipped’ On US Eroxon Roll Out, But Analysts Say 2024 Launch Possible

 
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Haleon says it'll take about 10 more months to bring Futura's Eroxon erectile dysfunction gel to the US. Analysts, however, say it may even arrive before the end of the year, with Haleon already investing significantly in its launch strategy. 


Bayer Takes Its Aspirin-Branded Digital CVD Screening Tool To Saudi Arabia

 
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Bayer Consumer Health's recently established Precision Health unit launches its Aspirin Heart Risk Assessment tool in Saudi Arabia. Developed in partnership with British medtech firm Huma Therapeutics, Bayer is planning to roll out the digital tool to other countries in the Middle East and also Latin America. 

ASA Files: It’s Not Just What You Say, But How You Say It

 
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Infirst has been admonished by UK ad authority, ASA, for implying in a TV commercial its lipid-based ibuprofen brand Flarin was more, or uniquely, effective for joint pain relief than other forms of ibuprofen.

Maxwellia Delivers Two UK Menstrual Health Rx-To-OTC Switches

 
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UK switch specialist Maxwellia delivers two “me too” reclassifications in the area of women's health: Evana Heavy Period Relief and Ultravana Period Pain Relief. 

‘Meaningful Revenues’ In 2023 Mark Strategic Milestone As Futura Looks To Future

 
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Futura recorded its first notable revenues last year, generated by the launch of its Eroxon erectile dysfunction gel in the UK and Europe, marking the company's transition from an R&D startup to a consumer healthcare player in its own right. To mark the occasion, CEO James Barder outlines a new strategy, with a focus on innovation in sexual wellness, further global partnerships and sustained profitability. 


Maxwellia Adds STI Home-Test To UK Lovi Line

 
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UK sexual health specialist Maxwellia continues to expand its UK footprint with an STI home-test launch under the Lovi brand umbrella. 

German OTC Launches And Revitalizations From P&G, Stada, Théa and TheOTCLab

 
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Botanical extracts power new products from P&G Health and Théa Pharmaceuticals in the areas of pain and eye-care respectively, while TheOTCLab and Stada relaunch much-loved foot care and cold brands in this German OTC marketing update. 

Over The Counter 5 Feb 2024: The Promise Of AI For Consumer Health, Pt 2, With The Exponential Club’s Nick Tate

 
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HBW Insight continues its conversation with The Exponential Club’s Nick Tate. In this episode, we discuss what the future of consumer health might actually look like, covering a lot of ground from nudge-based health insurance platforms to digital products that may supplement or even replace traditional drugs. We also talk about the promise and limitations of at-home testing for furthering personalization, and how to navigate partnerships with tech-specialists large and small to help accelerate digital transformation plans.

UK’s Dexcel Pharma Snaps Up Eight OTC Brands From Teva

 
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Dexcel Pharma has acquired eight OTC brands from Teva, including Bisodol Indigestion Relief Tablets, erectile dysfunction treatment Liberize and Yeast Vite supplements. Teva told HBW Insight it remains committed to the consumer health market despite a number of recent brand divestments.