Over The Counter (OTC)

Company news: GSK, Novartis and Boehringer Ingelheim

April 24, 2012

GlaxoSmithKline continues to shed businesses, but can't shake its weight-loss drug Alli (orlistat).
 

People news: Novartis, Qforma and Precision Health Media

March 01, 2012

Novartis named Brian McNamara as division head of OTC, replacing J&J veteran Naomi Kelman, who spent a year in the role.
 

As GSK jettisons consumer brands, smaller marketer sees boon

December 28, 2011

GlaxoSmithKline divested North American OTC drugs worth about $200 million in sales, a portfolio that seemed like a good strategic fit for buyer Prestige Brands Holdings.
 

Bon Jovi enlists in Advil's battle with Tylenol

December 21, 2011

Jon Bon Jovi is the latest celebrity pitchman for Pfizer Consumer Healthcare's Advil.
 

Advil Congestion effort ties traffic gridlock to cold and flu misery

December 13, 2011

Don't tell the New York Post, but Pfizer is boosting bike lanes as part of an Advil promotion.
 

OTC Lipitor? Good luck with that

August 04, 2011

Pfizer is reportedly weighing an attempt at an over-the-counter (OTC) switch for Lipitor - a move that could help the company recoup some of its losses when the $11 billion drug loses US exclusivity in November -- but the reception from analysts has been muted so far.
 

Desperate Housewives' Delany to flack Pfizer's Caltrate

August 03, 2011

Desperate Housewives star Dana Delany will serve as the face of Pfizer's "Women Move the World" campaign for OTC supplement Caltrate. In a twist on the user-generated content formula, she'll invite women to submit their girl power-themed stories to the brand's Facebook page for consideration as advertising fodder
 

Ethnically insensitive Summer's Eve ads draw eyeballs and brickbats

July 20, 2011

A feminine hygiene brand known for its boffo advertising is back with an anatomically-explicit ad campaign that's generating tons of publicity but also charges of racism.
 

GSW launches health and wellness practice

April 06, 2011

InVentiv's GSW is going after the consumer health and wellness market with an offshoot, dubbed The Well @GSW, aimed at OTC brands, consumer products and retail accounts.
 

Teva, P&G partner to form global OTC behemoth

March 24, 2011

Teva is partnering with Procter & Gamble in an OTC drug marketing joint venture that will boast annual sales of more than $1 billion -- and which could ultimately be worth four times that, the companies say.
 

With job stress high and money tight, women refocus on health, says survey

February 01, 2011

The percentage of women surveyed that said they're buying prescription medications was way up in 2010 - to 64% from 48% in 2009 - a jump the survey's sponsors, Saatchi & Saatchi Wellness and Time Inc.'s Health, said points to a recessionary refocusing on personal health with great potential for healthcare marketers.
 

GSK launches new Alli spots, hands five OTC brands to Meda

January 05, 2011

GlaxoSmithKline launched new commercials for Alli, in time for New Year's resolutions and holiday overeating remorse, and handed off five OTC products to Meda Pharmaceuticals.
 

Pfizer hypes Advil line extension with TV ad, personal shopper offer

November 17, 2010

Pfizer Consumer Healthcare is launching an Advil line extension with a contest to win a personal shopper for "Black Friday," the Friday after Thanksgiving, when bargain-hunting holiday shoppers pack stores.
 

Pfizer piles on Tylenol with Advil ads, website

October 06, 2010

Pfizer took aim at J&J's Tylenol franchise with a campaign offering free Advil and urging consumers to clean out their medicine cabinets and trash recalled drugs.
 

Novartis exploits J&J recall pains with Triaminic giveaway

July 29, 2010

Novartis is capitalizing on rival J&J's woes with a giveaway of its new Triaminic OTC children's acetaminophen.
 

Nicorette launch features Facebook contest with Dr. Drew

April 28, 2010

GlaxoSmithKline is launching a Nicorette lozenge with a new iteration of the "Quitting Sucks" ad campaign and a Facebook contest starring TV shrink Dr. Drew Pinsky.
 

P&G's Prilosec goes deep on social media

January 21, 2010

Procter & Gamble is launching a social media initiative for Prilosec as part of its bid to maintain the PPI's leadership position in a crowded market.
 

GSK launches puckish $15m "Sucks less" effort for Nicorette

December 09, 2009

GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare is taking an irreverent tone with its latest ads for Nicorette, featuring the tagline "Makes Quitting Suck Less."
 

Prevacid OTC switch gets $200 million launch effort

November 18, 2009

Novartis Consumer Health launched OTC Prevacid with a $200 million marketing campaign featuring the tagline: "When you've had it with heartburn."
 

Rite Aid launches video site for OTC coupons

August 07, 2009

Schering-Plough, Novartis, J&J, Wyeth and others are using Rite Aid's new "video values" site to offer coupons and information about their products.
 

Last chance to grab glory

June 04, 2009

If you still haven't entered the MM&M Awards 2009, then you'd better move fast--today (June 5) is the final deadline for submissions.
 

GSK pairs Wynonna Judd album with Alli

March 16, 2009

Consumers purchasing GSK's weight loss drug Alli will receive a free copy of Wynonna Judd's new album "Sing," beginning in March.
 

Most Zyrtec users didn't switch to OTC

November 10, 2008

Data analyzing Zyrtec's crossover found many patients didn't follow the drug over the counter, according to a Nielsen-Wolters Kluwer Health report.
 

GSK sees smokers return to patches, gum

June 27, 2008

GlaxoSmithKline is seeing a "leveling off of the impact" of Chantix on sales of its behind-the-counter nicotine replacement therapies (NRT) amid concerns about the safety of the smoking cessation drug.
 

First-year sales of GSK's Alli 'underwhelming,' analyst says

June 12, 2008

Although four million people have tried GlaxoSmithKline's OTC weight loss drug Alli during its first year on the market, preliminary sales figures are "pretty underwhelming," one analyst tells the Associated Press.
 

FDA to Merck: Mevacor OTC not approvable

January 28, 2008

The FDA needs to see additional data from Merck before approving an OTC version of the drugmaker's cholesterol-lowering drug Mevacor (lovastatin).
 

GSK to shift consumer media business by end of Feb.

December 21, 2007

GlaxoSmithKline should be finished transitioning the media planning and buying for its North American OTC business by the end of February, a spokesperson for the drugmaker said.
 

FDA rejects Merck's Mevacor OTC bid

December 18, 2007

An FDA advisory panel has rejected Merck's bid to sell the cholesterol-lowering drug Mevacor without a prescription.
 

Reckitt Benckiser to acquire Adams for $2.3 billion

December 11, 2007

UK-based cleaning products manufacturer Reckitt Benckiser announced Monday that it has agreed to buy US OTC drug maker Adams Respiratory Therapeutics for $2.3 billion.
 

GSK buys Mevacor OTC rights

November 27, 2007

GlaxoSmithKline will buy the rights to market Merck's cholesterol-lowering drug Mevacor (lovastatin) over-the-counter (OTC) in the US, pending FDA approval. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
 

Video Exclusive

Web Exclusives

Five industry experts advise specialty pharma company on digital strategy

April 20, 2012

Specialty pharma company POZEN assembled a crack team of experts to help shape its digital strategy. Not only did POZEN share with us the text from their contributions, but you can watch exclusive video clips of their valuable perspectives right here.
 

MM&M Awards 2011 HIghlights

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MAHF Ceremony 2012

Photos from the Medical Advertising Hall of Fame Awards ceremony
 
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