Ireland’s drug regulator HPRA has initiated a formal regulatory procedure to determine if OTC remains the appropriate classification for codeine-containing products. The agency says the move is in response to a growing understanding of the potential impacts of addiction to codeine at low doses.

The trophies have been handed out at the OTC Marketing Awards 2022 - but what did the expert judges have to say about the winning and highly-commended entries?

Winners across 15 categories were announced at the OTC Marketing Awards 2022 on 28 November, with Haleon crowned OTC Company of the Year.

Concerns over addiction to, and deliberate misuse of, codeine in Estonia has led the national regulator to reverse-switch the opioid from OTC to prescription-only status.

A round-up of notable consumer heath appointments: Stada has hired Sanofi's Stéphane Jacqmin as head of emerging markets; and Angelini has appointed Gilead's Jacopo Andreose as CEO of its Pharma business.

European Consumer health player PharmaSGP is well on the way to achieving new record revenues in 2022, and is working to maintain this upward trajectory over the medium and long term.