In 2020, the U.S. market saw four new brands previously sold as prescription drugs enter the nonprescription market:
- Pataday allergy eye drops
- Voltaren Arthritis Pain topical NSAID
- Advil Dual Action ibuprofen and acetaminophen pain reliever
- Sklice lice treatment
The new switch approvals have signaled a willingness on the part of regulators to be less conservative when it comes to OTC access to these medicines. Nasal steroid switches, like Flonase and Rhinocort, along with the topical NSAID Voltaren Arthritis Pain and Sklice lice shampoo, are all in categories where switch activity was curtailed in the not-so-distant past due to concerns over systemic absorption of topically applied medicines. For in-depth profiles of recently approved FDA switches, subscribe to the all-new KlinePULSE Consumer Healthcare Industry Trends service. Continue reading