COVID-19

Survey of more than 5,000 Asia-Pacific consumers finds 56% use technology tools such as nutrition apps to support healthy living, suggesting opportunity to connect with consumers.

July-September sales of OTC drugs, supplements and personal care products will come with CEO leaving J&J and P&G, a new leader for Perrigo Americas, Bausch Health likely offering Bausch + Lomb separation details and a cloud of rising costs related to supplies.

FDA makes withdrawal effective on 31 December, also the deadline for firms manufacturing or compounding alcohol-based hand sanitizer products, and making alcohol for those products under temporary guidances, to cease production.

"Fewer people are manufacturing the products ... That seems to be a sort of a natural reaction to I think the decreased consumer demand," says Donald Ashley, compliance chief in FDA’s drug center.

One of two US firms among five warned recently about problems with OTC sanitizers is a petroleum product business. Two of the other three warnings went to firms in Mexico, by far the predominant source of adulterated OTC sanitizers found in US since early 2020.

Viatris' marketing director Rob Elliott speaks to HBW Insight about how the company is investing in flagship OTC erectile dysfunction treatment Viagra Connect to ensure the brand keeps ahead of the growing competition. 

German doctors have issued 25% fewer “green prescriptions” for OTC products since the pandemic, according to IQVIA. 

FDA advised Chinese firm Max-Lux Corp. that its Safe-T-Lite UV Wand was found in a July 2020 evaluation to be unsafe due to the absence of instructions for use. Typical use could expose consumers to unsafe levels of electronic product radiation.