Innovation & IP

Bayer adds dry eye treatment to its Bepanthen skin care range; Stada launches special edition Elotrans supplement for Eintracht Frankfurt fans; Hermes offers chewable magnesium supplement; and Klosterfrau introduces Oyono Night extension to help troubled sleepers maintain their immunity.

UK consumer healthcare industry association PAGB is calling on the UK government to explore the Rx-to-OTC switch of at least 25 OTC products over five years, and work with the country's medicines agency to re-evaluate the restrictive criteria for reclassification. 

In addition to its recently established Precision Health division, Bayer Consumer Health is using artificial intelligence to save time on routine tasks and to manage supply and demand, the firm’s head of digital transformation and IT, Cristina Nitulescu, tells HBW Insight.

To coincide with Stoptober – an annual campaign that encourages smokers in the UK to quit smoking for the month of October – Kenvue has launched a digital “branded entertainment” series for smoking cessation brand Nicorette that follows smokers on their quitting journeys.

Use of Kenvue’s Nicorette QuickMist nicotine replacement therapy device resulted in “statistically significant reductions in urges to vape as soon as 30 seconds and up to two hours after dosing compared with placebo,” according to a recently published study funded by the firm.

October will see the bricks-and-mortar launch of the first FDA-approved OTC treatment for erectile dysfunction in the US by Haleon. HBW Insight catches up with the company's North America president Lisa Paley to find out what Haleon has planned for Eroxon's arrival in stores. 

“We're significantly investing more in reaching more consumers, but we're doing it in a very different way,” says CGO Charmaine England. Brands may be “iconic,” but on their own they’re not driving sales growth, says CEO Thibaut Mongon.

HBW Insight catches up with Kenvue's Manoj Raghunandanan, who recently switched roles from global head of self care & consumer experience organization to area managing director for Northern Europe. "If I was playing tennis in my old role, I'm playing rugby in my new one. It’s a new game with new rules, and there's a lot happening all around you," he explains in this exclusive interview. Having found his feet, Raghunandanan is now pushing forward regionally with the innovation and technology infrastructure that he had a hand in building. 

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. 

In this installment of HBW Insight’s “Inside Regulatory Affairs” series, Olyos Group’s quality and regulatory director, Jean-Noël Perin, explains why the regulation of food supplements requires agility, anticipation and interpretation. Perin also discusses why regulatory affairs should be seen as a powerful tool for a company's development and performance.

In this installment of HBW Insight’s “Inside Regulatory Affairs” series, Bayer Consumer Health’s global regulatory director, Jenny Holmes, describes how the job has changed in recent years to assume an enabling role for innovation.

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.

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. 

Perrigo aims its new SolpaOne high-strength paracetamol effervescent at UK pharmacists, who now have expanded powers as part of the UK government's Pharmacy First initiative. 

Plastics – specifically the reduction of virgin plastic in packaging and the move to recyclable or refillable packaging – is one of nine priority topics Kenvue is focused on as part of its global sustainability strategy, according to the company’s global head of packaging innovation, sustainability and experience, David Lickstein.

As it considers what route to take to independence, Sanofi's Consumer Healthcare business – recently rebranded as Opella – has been changing its approach to marketing, according to chief growth officer Alberto Hernandez. In this exclusive interview, Hernandez explains how “Crazy Elevating Creativity” is delivering real results for Sanofi's top OTC brands. 

Germany's Expert Committee on Prescription recommends the Rx-to-OTC switch of an azelastine and fluticasone propionate combination nasal spray, the second time around. Low-cost smoking cessation drug cytisine, on the other hand, is denied - also the second time it has appeared before the committee.  

Plant-based digestive health remedy Iberogast, alongside Bepanthen Derma and Supradyn dietary supplements, are the brands currently driving sales growth at Bayer Consumer Health, according to the firm's Q2 financial report.

Church & Dwight’s slower sales at retail in June-July than in January-May point to still slower results for rest of year. It doesn’t expect second-half help from gummy vitamin lines or give them a full vote of confidence for remaining in portfolio.

Don't miss out on a chance to win an OTC Marketing Award. The entry deadline is fast approaching ahead of the presentation ceremony in London later this year.