Content about Antipyretics

With private label across analgesics up an estimated 11.3% to $1.7 billion, retailers are going to need to make some tough decisions as two internal analgesic powerhouses — McNeil's Tylenol and Novartis' Excedrin — make their way back onto market after respective recalls. Within internal analgesic tablets, sales of store brand equivalents were up 15% off of a 2011 base of around $1.2 billion. The branded competition also were benefactors — both Pfizer's Advil and Bayer's Aleve generated more than $50 million in incremental sales on top of 2011 sales.

NEW YORK — CVS/pharmacy has decided to stock Tylenol pain reliever in only half of its stores, according to a Reuters report published Monday. 

According to the report, CVS will stock Tylenol in each market, but not in each store as CVS seeks to plug any out-of-stock holes left behind by the initial recall of Tylenol three years ago and the brand's slow trek back to shelf. 

PARSIPPANY, N.J. — Generic drug maker Watson Labs recalled two lots of a prescription painkiller due to the potential for oversized and overly potent tablets, the company said.

The drug maker announced the recall of hydrocodone bitartrate and acetaminophen tablets in the 10 mg/500 mg strengths based on a customer complaint of tablets that were thicker and darker-colored than the others.

PHILADELPHIA — The Food and Drug Administration has granted regulatory approval for a generic drug to treat tension headaches.

Lannett announced the approval of butalbital, acetaminophen and caffeine tablets in the 50-mg/325-mg/40-mg strength. the drug is a generic version of Watson Pharmaceuticals' Fioricet.

Branded and generic versions of the drug had sales of $30 million during the 12-month period ended in July, including $15 million for branded Fioricet. Lannett plans to start shipping its version next month, the company said.

PARSIPPANY, N.J. — Significant product recalls and the ongoing recession have driven consumer behavior change in the OTC aisle, according to a new report published Tuesday by Kline. In addition, road blocks to savings, such as reimbursement of OTC medicines under flexible spending accounts, were recently put in place with the new requirement that those medicines now to be prescribed by a physician in order to qualify for reimbursement. Approximately 1-in-5 respondents have used FSAs to purchase OTC drugs or nutritional supplements in the past, the report noted.

FORT WASHINGTON, Pa. — McNeil Consumer Healthcare on Friday issued a voluntary recall, at the wholesale and retail levels, of seven lots of Infants' Tylenol oral suspension 1-oz. grape that was distributed nationwide over consumer complaints of the included dosing system.

McNeil's Infants' Tylenol SimpleMeasure includes a dosing syringe, which a parent or caregiver inserts into a protective cover, or “flow restrictor,” at the top of the bottle to measure the proper dose. In some cases, the flow restrictor was pushed into the bottle when inserting the syringe.

NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. — Johnson & Johnson Tuesday morning pledged significant support behind the relaunch of several McNeil Consumer products into the marketplace in 2012, and feels confident impacted brands — Tylenol and Motrin, among others — will be able to recapture market share, despite significant private-label erosion.

WHAT IT MEANS AND WHY IT'S IMPORTANT — With Tylenol coming back to cough-cold and analgesic aisles over the next six months, you can bet the brand will soon resume its status as the cleanup hitter for Team OTC. That not only means a reshuffling of the lineup, but the respective No. 9 hitters will be packing their bags for a trip back to the minors.

(THE NEWS: Report: J&J resumes shipping of Tylenol product. For the full story, click here)

WASHINGTON — Uniform concentrations of single-ingredient liquid pediatric acetaminophen medicines have been making their way to the shelf as promised by the Consumer Healthcare Products Association earlier this year, as evidenced by these new product facings from PediaCare and Triaminic. Note, too, that both new formulations feature uniform age-appropriate dosing devices, in this case syringes.

FORT WASHINGTON, Pa. — McNeil Consumer Healthcare on Thursday announced plans for new dosing instructions, lowering the maximum daily dose for single-ingredient Extra Strength Tylenol (acetaminophen) products sold in the United States from eight pills per day (4,000 mg) to six pills per day (3,000 mg).

NEW YORK — McNeil Consumer Healthcare’s foray into heat patches has proven a success. Tylenol Precise is the No. 2 brand across heat and ice packs, falling in behind Pfizer’s ThermaCare. Within its first year on the shelf, Tylenol Precise has generated $6.1 million in sales for the 52 weeks ended April 17, according to SymphonyIRI Group data across food, drug and mass (excluding Walmart). 


The Tylenol Precise patches retail for around $7.99.

PARSIPPANY, N.J. — The Food and Drug Administration has approved a drug for arthritis made by Watson Pharmaceuticals, Watson said Friday.

The drug maker announced the approval of nabumetone tablets in the 500-mg and 750-mg strength. The drug is used to treat signs and symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis.

Nabumetone had sales of $58 million during the 12-month period ended in April, according to IMS Health.