Small Business Matters

“There’s no one company, government, person or technology who is positioned to ‘solve’ the health of the world,” notes Haleon's Nick Tate. Which is why OTC companies are partnering with tech firms large and small to create the next generation of consumer healthcare products and services. In the first part of an exclusive interview on the future of digital consumer health, Tate – who heads up the firm’s incubator business, Haleon NEXT – discusses some of the complications of tech innovation that make such collaboration attractive.

European consumers can now buy Futura Medical's Eroxon erectile dysfunction gel without a prescription online, and in person via Belgian pharmacies. Further country launches, supported by advertising and promotional campaigns, remain on track during the coming months, Futura says. However, the US launch, expected for Q1 this year, has been delayed while the firm answers questions posed by the FDA.

UK start-up Idavøll has created a “sexual performance” supplement containing a mixture of botanicals, minerals and amino acids designed to contribute towards optimal stamina, blood flow, testosterone levels and mental performance. Speaking exclusively to HBW Insight, the firm's CEO Dan Barron reveals plans to take the Viking themed brand to Europe, China and the US. 

Thanks to a deal with local pharmacy chain Nahdi Medical, slimmers in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia will soon be able to buy GoFigure shakes and bars, which contain OptiBiotix Health's trademarked SlimBiome prebiotic.

The healthcare industry is sick and in desperate need of disruption, stated Consumer Healthcare Products Association president Scott Melville at the beginning of the final session of the 2022 GSCF World Congress. Thought leaders from Google, past and present, Haleon, IQVIA Consumer Health and Convert Group offered their views on where this disruption might come from. 

Johnson & Johnson's OTC brands including Benadryl, Benylin, Calpol, Imodium, Nicorette and Sudafed, as well as its personal care brands such as Aveeno and Neutrogena, are now available for home delivery 24/7 via the Zapp app to consumers in London, UK.

Futura Medical is preparing to seek approval from the FDA to launch OTC in the US its MED3000 erectile dysfunction treatment, marketed in Europe under the Eroxon brand name. After completing all the necessary studies demonstrating that the gel-based, drug-free product works as a self-care treatment for ED, Futura says it is confident that the soon to be submitted de novo medical device application will be successful and pave the way for a Q1 2023 launch.

Joining IBA from The Honest Company, where he headed up innovation, Frey aims to promote networking and collaboration within the group’s membership in an environment where in-person events – and travel budgets – still have not returned to pre-pandemic levels. Frey spoke with HBW Insight about his career to date and his goals for IBA in the near and longer terms.

Positive results from a confirmatory Phase III clinical study puts Futura Medical on track to file a dossier for drug-free erectile dysfunction gel MED3000 with the US Food and Drug Administration by the end of September 2022. This is in line with the company's timeline of approval as an OTC de novo medical device in Q1 2023.

With its lateral flow at-home tests for ferritin, thyroid function and ovarian reserves, Swiss medtech firm Bloom Diagnostics thinks it has seen the future of consumer healthcare. HBW Insight speaks to co-founder and board chair Angelica Kohlmann about the firm's Bloom Lab technology and forward-looking plans, including a possible US launch. 

Plantwise launched its CBD supplements in independent pharmacies in May with consultation consumers might not receive at larger chains.

Menopause market is a multi-billion opportunity gaining traction with digital health companies offering solutions to help women manage their symptoms and provide treatment and support. Medtech Insight spoke with three female founders and entrepreneurs, as well as a partner at Lux Capital and clinical lead of ORCHA, about this market.