Prescription To OTC Switch

Opill marketer Perrigo builds on marketing collaboration with WNA in partnership with Napheesa Collier; Bucked Up partners with MMA champion and entrepreneur Conor McGregor; and Recover 180 collaborates with NBA players.

FDA’s OTC office director details a 2023 guidance as opening doors for NRT innovation at recent public meeting, but researchers and an industry executive note the most recent approval in the US for an innovative NRT was more than 20 years ago and say FDA isn’t allowing sufficient flexibility for approvals of new products or indications other than cessation related to quitting smoking.

Biden’s order for proposed rules could boost support for Democrat Kamla Harris from undecided voters concerned about reproductive rights or for Republican Donald Trump from those who agree with his conservative stance on access to birth control, which he argues should be up to states to regulate. Proposed rules also could stir consumers not planning to vote to go to the polls.

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.

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 commentary and information about the OTC drug, dietary supplement and cosmetic industries, speakers offered candid remarks on subjects well known across the consumer health industry or well recognized by consumers.

“It's really the elected officials who are making the final determination on what happens. They're really the owners of the teams, you guys in the industry are playing the game we’re refereeing,” FDA Commissioner Robert Califf says at Consumer Healthcare Products Association conference.

An end to litigation filed by institutional investors, insurance companies and pension funds comes four CEOs after Perrigo's chief exec during Mylan's tender in 2015, Joseph Papa, resigned to lead another firm in 2016. Plaintiff attorneys are asking for up to 20% of settlement in fees.

Proposal to have panelists rate the strength of efficacy and safety evidence on a numeric scale also draws support in written comments on ways to optimize the advisory committee process. 

David Ball moves from Bayer’s North America business to be Perrigo’s first chief brand and digital officer. He joins CEO who also moved to Perrigo from Bayer with decades of branded product experience.