North America Conference Report

Nicholas Hall’s North America e-Conference was held last week, with various speakers giving inspiring presentations on the latest trends in the CHC market, innovations, rising brands, keys to brand success, modern marketing strategies and future growth categories.

Nicholas Hall began the webinar by unpacking current key trends in the industry, such as high interest in probiotic & prebiotic products and CBD, despite markets for both flatlining. He examined how many jumped on the immunity bandwagon in response to the pandemic, with brands such as elderberry-based Sambucol experiencing great success in 2020, but also how this category has seen a slowdown in the first few months of 2021. Nicholas concluded with a look ahead at Infinity Zones (future growth categories), which include probiotics, food allergy & intolerance, cannabis, sexual health and obesity (among others).

The following talks focused on the non-prescription imperative, and how the current challenge of access to health treatment in the USA may best be addressed. Mary Alice Lawless discussed the new and exciting capabilities of Biograph by Amwell, which uses fully customisable, layered frameworks for proper implementation of labelling strategies and allows for communication and education to be personalised to an individual profile. Jim Parker and Joseph McGovern discussed the issue of undertreatment in the USA and the steps that can be taken to increase and improve access to treatments on a non-prescription basis, including CHC product development and advances in technology to help consumers self-diagnose conditions and ensure proper self-selection. Clark Richardson finished this section of the webinar, concluding that the next crops of OTC switch candidates will require different tools to help consumers safely select and use medications, and that comprehension studies, self-selection studies and actual use studies must be undertaken.

The Non-Prescription Imperative: Switch to return as key driver of US OTC growth

Next up, Douglas Stukenborg gave insight into the keys to success he discovered when helping to create the Welly plaster brand. His tips included the need to start with the problem in a category rather than the answer, to limit/leverage distribution to manage risk and to launch fast & fix fast. Second in the segment on Challenger Brands, Daniel Hassan described how brands IB Gard, REMfresh and Fiber Choice became successful while 85% of new CPG brands fail. His advice included building enduring brands in the drug free space, creating patented prescription-quality innovations, winning support in the medical community, and providing science to allow educated consumers to believe in products and to allow doctors to recommend products.

Anna Mayo and Corinne Shindelar then discussed online sales trends, movement towards subscription services for vitamin products, the increasing popularity of click and collect and DTC brands, the trend towards clean and natural and plant-based products among younger consumers, the growth of the natural/organic industry, the increase in herbal supplement sales in the USA and the growth of consumer interest in GMO-free, cruelty free and vegan products. Finally, Michelle Bottomley described the “Modern Marketer’s Tool Kit”, with focus shifting from product-centric to consumer-centric, and from product sales to consumer portfolio growth. She also discussed how modern marketing can flex across a continuum of art & science to utilise multiple channels and integrate all communications to give 360-degree surround of the target consumer with a seamless, personalised experience at every point of contact. Steve Sowerby rounded off the conference with a helpful summary of each speaker’s contributions and some interesting closing thoughts for the industry moving ahead.

If you were unable to join, contact us to purchase a recording of the North America session. Next on the agenda is our APAC e-Conference 2021 on 23 November and the Latin America e-Conference 2021 on 14 December. To find out more about these conferences, entry submission criteria for any of the awards, or to book your place, please contact elizabeth.bernos@NicholasHall.com.

Global CHC Market Movers, MAT Q1 2021

We have now published our latest Market Movers update on the CHC Dashboard website, highlighting 6 brands that have been driving growth in the global CHC market in the MAT Q1 2021 period, as well as 6 brands in fast decline, and below we look at the trends behind these exceptional brand performances.

Given that antiseptics & disinfectants were by far the biggest growth driver in the global CHC market in MAT Q1 2021, it’s no surprise that two of the six fastest-growing brands were hand sanitisers, Unilever’s Suave and ArtNaturals (ArtNaturals). Both were standout performers in the US market among a raft of new entries in the vibrant subcategory.

Rx-to-OTC switch has also been an important growth driver, with GSK’s May 2020 launch of topical analgesic Voltaren Arthritis Pain the notable development, generating sales in excess of US$100mn in under a year on the market. Former switch brand Plan B One-Step also performed exceptionally well in MAT Q1 2021, owing to limited access to prescribed contraception and family planning clinics during the pandemic. Foundation Consumer Healthcare also backed the brand with TV ads explaining it does not affect future fertility.

In China, the two fastest-growing CHC brands were Mayinglong Musk, a haemorrhoid preparation extended into new subcategories thanks to product innovation, and Fu Fang E Jiao Jiang, which marketer Dong-e E-jiao Group revived by returning to a policy of targeting general (not just high-end) consumers, helping ensure a return to growth overall for tonics & cure alls in China.

As for products that suffered falling sales in MAT Q1 2021, the clear majority (4 out of 6) were CCA brands, given the historically weak cough & cold season experienced by the industry in the first quarter of this year. Global No.1 brand Vicks posted further heavy decline in Q1, with MAT Q1 2021 sales falling by 24.5%; combo packs of Vicks NyQuil / DayQuil packs fell particularly hard (-54%).

Reckitt’s systemic cold & flu treatment Mucinex Fast-Max and cough remedy Delsym also suffered heavy decline in MAT Q1 2021, as did Taisho’s cold remedy Pabron in Japan, which was hit by the downturn for domestic and inbound channels attributable to Covid-related issues.

We are pleased to announce that Nicholas Hall’s North American e-Conference 2021 will take place on 21 September! Sponsored by Catalent, Nicholas will be joined by industry experts to explore Challenger Brands & Key Pillars to the New / Modern Marketing World. To register, or to find out more, please contact elizabeth.bernos@NicholasHall.com.

Rx-to-OTC switch drivers

Allergy and sexual health are two areas of the global CHC market that continue to expand in sales thanks to Rx to non-prescription switch activity in various markets. In Japan, the Ministry of Health, Labour & Welfare’s Evaluation (MHLW) Review Conference will discuss the potential Rx-to-OTC switch of emergency hormonal contraceptives at a meeting this week.

According to CHC Insight Asia-Pacific Senior Editor, Nicola Allan: “In June 2019, an MHLW steering committee permitted pharmacists to dispense EHCs during a face-to-face transaction after the consumer has had an online consultation with a doctor. Previously, the patient had to see a doctor face-to-face to obtain a prescription to give to the pharmacist. More than 9,000 pharmacists have undertaken training that allows them to participate in the new scheme, which has prompted the MHLW to consider further liberalisation of EHC sales.”

Meanwhile, in the UK, following an application from Sanofi, the Medicines & Healthcare products Regulatory Agency last week reclassified Nasacort Allergy Relief (triamcinolone acetonide 55mcg / dose) nasal spray from Pharmacy medicine to General Sales List. The suspension can be used for the relief of symptoms associated with seasonal allergic rhinitis, including sneezing, itchy and runny nose, itchy red or watery eyes, nasal congestion or sinus discomfort in adults aged 18+ years.

In terms of switch drivers, governments seeking to reduce healthcare costs remains a primary factor, but also important is the empowerment of consumers as they increasingly use digital solutions to improve and monitor their health, a trend that is being leveraged into test & treat models. Commenting on the just-published Rx-to-OTC Switch Hot Topic Report, CIMA Senior Market Analyst Victoria Blake said the report “considers the impact of Covid on struggling healthcare systems, and the increased burden on the undertreated population. While traditional mechanisms have proved too slow in recent years, the next generation of switches – such as statins, triptans, oral contraceptives and CBD – require new thinking and a different approach.”

According to Nicholas Hall, “we could be entering a Golden Age. Voltaren Arthritis Pain Relief Gel’s successful US launch; OTC approval for low-dose cannabis in Australia; the possibility of OTC oral contraceptives in a major Western market for the first time; plus recent statements by Sanofi on the likely switches of the antiviral Tamiflu and the erectile dysfunction treatment Cialis. These are just the tonic this industry needs as the recovery from Covid gets underway.”

Our hot topic report Rx-to-OTC Switch is now published! Written by Nicholas Hall’s CIMA team in association with switch expert Joe McGovern of Biograph Inc, you can access information on the historic and current switch environments in key global markets, including an overview of pipeline and strategic considerations. For more information, or to purchase your copy, please contact melissa.lee@NicholasHall.com

Sexual health OTC revolution

Building on the news covered in last week’s blog that Sanofi is planning to implement the US Rx-to-OTC switch of erectile dysfunction treatment Cialis by end-2024, this week we look at another major development in the OTC sexual health & fertility category – the announcement by the UK’s MHRA that it has launched a public consultation on the reclassification of two progestogen-only contraceptive pills containing desogestrel, marking the first time the agency has considered such a change.

MHRA is asking the public and stakeholders for their views on whether two continuous-use oral contraceptives – HRA Pharma’s Hana and Maxwellia’s Lovima, both as 75mcg film-coated tablets in 28-count packs – should become pharmacy medicines and available OTC, without a medical prescription (although, in parallel, desogestrel 75mcg will also remain available on prescription, with women potentially able to switch between prescription or pharmacy supply at different times). The agency notes that if the products are reclassified, pharmacists will have access to training materials and a checklist to help them to identify women who can receive the two medicines safely. Two separate consultations are open until 5th March (Hana link; Lovima link).

Following the switch of Adamed’s Maxon Forte (sildenafil 50mg) in Poland in early 2020, the rollout of OTC Viagra (Viatris) to Norway and Ireland in 2020, plus the EU centralised Rx-to-OTC switch of Fortacin (Recordati for Plethora Solutions) for premature ejaculation – formulated with lidocaine 150mg + prilocaine 50mg – in September 2020, the past year has seen a rapid expansion in the availability of OTC sexual health & fertility medicines. With OTC ED on the near horizon in the US market, the UK approval of the daily contraceptive pill as an OTC medicine could lead to a wave of similar approvals worldwide, and inject substantial growth into the global CHC market over the coming years.

CHC.NewDirections Consulting Editor, Nina Stimson adds: This really is an exciting proposal – not only a first for the UK, but also the first significant bid to offer oral contraceptives without prescription outside the Asia Pacific region – China and South East Asian markets lead the way, although sales in most markets are relatively small. If the proposal is approved, will UK pharmacists actively support the switch and help build OTC supply (and will the pharmacy protocol be sufficiently user-friendly not to push women back to the doctor)? And will any price differential between Rx or OTC supply be a factor? Not all ambitious switches in the UK have succeeded in the past, but we have high hopes for this one. Time will tell …

You can save up to GB£1,350 when you pre-order our forthcoming report from CHC New Products Tracker, Innovation in CHC: 2020’s NPD & Launch activity under the spotlight before 31st March! As well as looking in more depth at the latest OTC sexual health & fertility developments, the report also showcases the top 100 innovations in 2020 and features major ingredient trends, delivery format trends and much more. For more information, or to pre-order your copy, please contact melissa.lee@NicholasHall.com.

Sanofi CHC on track to be standalone unit by end-2022

At Sanofi’s Capital Markets Day 2021, the company’s Head of Consumer Healthcare, Julie Van Ongevalle, shared her vision for the business: “With the ongoing implementation of our fully integrated standalone model, we look forward to being more agile and reducing the complexity of our portfolio to drive growth with our consumer-centric, data-driven marketing approach.” The aim is to divest around 150 brands (from the current 250) in the next two years to focus on “priority categories”, such as allergy, body pain, general pain and mental wellness – particularly sleep aids – via a “granular approach”.

Rx-to-OTC switch has already been a key factor in driving growth in one of Sanofi’s priority categories, allergy remedies, thanks to the successful global OTC rollout of Allegra (first available in the USA in 2011) and launch of Xyzal Allergy 24HR (USA, 2017). Josephine Fubara, Chief Science Officer at Sanofi CHC, noted that Sanofi continues to make progress in bringing two potential OTC switches to the market in the coming years, erectile dysfunction treatment Cialis and flu antiviral Tamiflu, presenting a blockbuster opportunity with a combined sales potential of €1bn in the US market alone.

_{Source: Sanofi Capital Markets Day 2021 presentation}

Sanofi also stated that it is on track with its plans to be a standalone CHC business by end-2022. The company said that the overall planning for the transition was complete, and that the majority of its standalone CHC legal entities would be operational by end-2021. Among the benefits that Sanofi believes this transition will bring include the agility to reignite its innovation engine and reduce time-to-market by around 20%.

Looking ahead, Sanofi is targeting above average market growth, driven by its focus on priority categories and Rx-to-OTC switch, with a view to becoming the best-in-market CHC performer by 2024-25. Supporting this objective will be a focus on consumer insights, an emphasis on e-Commerce and digital channels and the operational independence provided by Sanofi’s standalone model.

Save up to GB£1,350 when you pre-order our forthcoming report from CHC New Products Tracker, Innovation in CHC: 2020’s NPD & Launch activity under the spotlight before 31 March. The report showcases the Top 100 innovations in 2020 and features major ingredient trends, delivery format trends, and much more. For further details, or to pre-order your copy, please contact melissa.lee@NicholasHall.com.

Switch: 2020 Review and 2021 Prospects

According to our CHC New Products Tracker tool, which covers 20 key markets globally, 2020 was a relatively good year for Rx-to-OTC switch activity, not quite at the level of particularly active years like 2018, but above average in terms of switch-related launch developments, and with some notable breakthroughs such as GSK’s switch of Voltaren Arthritis Pain (diclofenac) in the USA and Glenmark’s Momate Rhino Advance Nasal Spray (mometasone + azelastine) switch in Russia.

Thanks to the Rx-to-OTC reclassification of Voltaren Arthritis Pain, as well as eye allergy itch relief range Pataday (Alcon), the US market led the way in terms of switch developments in 2020, along with Poland, Germany and China. As for category switch trends, looking at Tracker data for the past 8 years (2013 to 2020), allergy remedies has been by far the most active OTC subcategory in producing new products following switch activity, with double the amount of NPD activity as the next nearest subcategory, cough remedies.

Looking ahead to 2021, one of the first switch developments this year will again be an allergy remedy. The UK’s Medicines & Healthcare products Regulatory Agency granted GSL status to Sanofi’s Allevia tablets for seasonal allergic rhinitis (fexofenadine 120mg; 12+ years; 1 tablet per day) in late December 2020. Once Allevia and other OTC fexofenadine products are launched, they will enjoy mass market distribution from the outset (it is more common in the UK for switched ingredients to be granted pharmacy-only OTC status). This is the second Rx-to-GSL UK allergy remedy switch in as many months, following approval for J&J’s Rhinocort Aqua budesonide 64mcg nasal spray in November 2020 (to be marketed as Benacort Hayfever Relief).

In addition, Poland remains at the forefront of global switch activity, with the country’s medicines agency (URPL) recently approving the Rx-to-OTC switch of Famotydyna Ranigast film-coated tablets (Polpharma; famotidine 20mg). Claimed to relieve indigestion, heartburn and hyperacidity for up to 12 hours, this is the first famotidine option available OTC in Poland. Meanwhile, Australia’s TGA is seeking comments until 27th January 2021 on proposed amendments to the Poisons Standard, which will be discussed at the March 2021 meeting of the Advisory Committee on Medicines Scheduling, including adding the following pharmacist-only medicines to Appendix H to permit consumer advertising: prochlorperazine and metoclopramide for the treatment of nausea associated with migraine; and chloramphenicol for ophthalmic use.

We are delighted to announce that our annual European e-Conference 2021 will take place online on 28 & 29 April! With options for individual and corporate site or global access, take the chance to keep up with what’s happening in consumer healthcare today and contact elizabeth.bernos@NicholasHall.com

Rx-to-OTC switch: Fortacin in EU, CBD in Australia

Rx-to-OTC switch activity has shown signs of revival so far in 2020, and two more positive news stories emerged last week. First, the European Commission has approved the Rx-to-OTC switch of Fortacin topical spray for premature release in adult men (owned by Plethora Solutions and marketed under licence by Recordati; lidocaine 150mg/ml + prilocaine 50mg/ml), following the July 2020 recommendation from the EMA’s Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use. Recordati will reportedly begin the OTC launch of Fortacin in January 2021. This is the fifth brand to receive switch approval via the EU centralised procedure, and the first since 2015 when ellaOne (HRA Pharma) was given the rubber stamp.

Secondly, a delegate of the Secretary to Australia’s Department of Health has released an interim recommendation to switch plant-derived or synthetic CBD ≤60mg (up to 30 days’ supply, adults aged 18+ years) from Rx to Schedule 3 (Pharmacist-only), with a proposed implementation date of 1st June 2021. The ingredient will also be added to Appendix M of the Poisons Standard, with supply limited to medicines registered on the Australian Registry of Therapeutic Goods.

Source: CHC New Products Tracker

Comments are being sought until 13th October 2020 on this proposed CBD switch in Australia, as well as the following recommendations:

• Switch migraine treatment eletriptan ≤40mg (up to two tablets) from Rx to S3 and include the ingredient in Appendix H to permit consumer A+P (1st February 2021)
• Permit the S2 (Pharmacy-only) sale of immediate-release ibuprofen ≤400mg (up to 12 dosage units) when labelled not for children under 12 years (1st February 2021)
• Do not switch sildenafil 50mg (up to four dosage units) from Rx to S3 and include the ingredient in Appendix H and Appendix M
• Do not permit general sale of oxymetazoline ≤0.05% nasal sprays
• Do not permit the S2 sale of clotrimazole ≤1% preparations for vaginal use

One of the key reasons behind the TGA’s establishing Appendix M in January 2018 was to facilitate future switch activity by helping ingredients meet the S3 Scheduling Policy Framework criteria through the provision of additional pharmacist controls or supply requirements. This channel has had some success, with CBD appearing to be the latest ingredient to benefit. Some stakeholders had also hoped that additional controls would finally sway opinion on the OTC availability of ED medicines but the scheduling delegate did not think the risk mitigation strategies outlined in the Appendix M entry assessed the risks associated with sildenafil use.

Nicholas Hall Writes: Last week I presented the key conclusions from last year’s New Paradigms report and my client asked, what will be the really high growth categories in the post-Covid CHC market? That is a really good question, and it seems to me that there are six emerging sectors each with sales potential of over US$10bn at MSP:

1. CBD
2. Sexual health
3. Sleep, stress & mood
4. Food allergy & intolerance
5. Probiotics
6. Immunity

Each of these presents opportunities, each of these presents formidable obstacles. In the case of CBD, the major hurdle is regulatory. So if this news from Australia is borne out, and CBD becomes a registered OTC category — the first in the world — we will have overcome the first barrier in the long journey to regulate and regularise this awesome opportunity, and I use the word awesome in its original sense, not as a teenage throwaway remark!

Don’t miss out on your chance to save up to GB£1,800 when you pre-order our upcoming report, Cough, Cold & Allergy before 30 September! For more information, or to pre-order your copy, please contact melissa.lee@NicholasHall.com.

GSK and Alcon get FDA approval for US switches

Following on from our recent blog highlighting the need for a new wave of Rx-to-OTC switches to kickstart growth in the global consumer healthcare industry, this week we cover the welcome news that the FDA has approved three drugs for non-prescription use. As well as GSK’s topical analgesic gel Voltaren Arthritis Pain (diclofenac sodium 1%), two Alcon eye care allergy products (available as solution / drops) have also switched to OTC status – Pataday Twice Daily Relief (olopatadine 0.1%) and Pataday Once Daily Relief (olopatadine 0.2%).

Karen Mahoney, Acting Deputy Director of the Office of Nonprescription Drugs at the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation & Research, said: “Approval of a wider range of non-prescription drugs has the potential to improve public health by increasing the types of drugs consumers can access and use that would otherwise only be available by prescription. This includes providing the millions of people that suffer with joint pain from arthritis daily over-the-counter access to another non-opioid treatment option.”

Olopatadine is available OTC in a handful of other countries worldwide, but this is the first time it’s been switched in a major market. One of the countries where the ingredient can be purchased without a prescription is Singapore, which approved the Rx-to-OTC switch of olopatadine 0.1% and 0.2% in December 2016. More recently, Poland’s Office for Registration of Medicinal Products, Medical Devices & Biocidal Products (URPL) approved the Rx-to-OTC switch of Polfa Warszawa’s Starelltec Alergia eye drops (olopatadine 1mg / ml; 5ml bottle) in July 2019 and Adamed’s Oftahist eye drops (olopatadine 1mg / ml; 5ml bottle) in November 2019.

Voltaren currently ranks fifth among the world’s leading consumer healthcare brands, according to CHC DASHBOARD, and this switch could see it move up the rankings and even move ahead of its new GSK stablemate Advil into the No.3 position globally within the next few years. While the US switch of Voltaren has long been mooted, the news is all the more welcome at a time when the world’s No.1 CHC market is in desperate need of an injection of growth, and US arthritis sufferers are also in need of a wider pool of OTC non-opioid treatment options.

For the full story, be sure to read tomorrow’s edition of CHC.NewDirections, a weekly e-newsletter sent out every Tuesday. CHC.NewDirections focuses on innovation, science and regulation, and coverage spans Rx-to-OTC switch, CBD, relevant medical research, probiotics, medical devices, digital health / AI, e-cigarettes and much more! For more information, or to arrange a free trial, please contact Melissa.Lee@NicholasHall.com

Rx-to-OTC switch outlook for 2020

One of the factors contributing to lower global consumer healthcare growth in recent years has been a falling-off in Rx-to-OTC switch activity in key markets like Japan and the USA. Looking ahead, however, there are reasons to be positive. In December 2019, Sanofi CEO Paul Hudson cited the company’s “plans to accelerate the over-the-counter switches for Cialis and Tamiflu” in order to fulfil its ambition of growing faster than the CHC market over the mid-term. In light of the current coronavirus epidemic, the benefits of wider OTC access to flu remedies is all the more evident.

Sexual health is another category with huge Rx-to-OTC switch potential, notably erectile dysfunction medicines and daily oral contraceptives. Though the switch of Cialis (tadalafil) has been stuck at the FDA for several years now since its submission, sildenafil (Viagra) is enjoying ever wider OTC availability, especially in Europe. After switching in Poland in 2016, sildenafil was launched as Viagra Connect (Pfizer) in the UK in 2018 and will be launched OTC as Viagra Reseptfri in Norwegian pharmacies in early 2020.

There is also renewed interest in OTC triptans for migraine. A handful of switches took place in the mid-2000s but were held back by OTC purchase limits (a 2-tablet emergency pack). Over the past year, various countries have again began discussing triptan switches including Australia, Ireland and Germany (which is expected to expand the number of triptan molecules in the OTC sector), though major expansion of the segment is unlikely without larger pack sizes.

All that said, reverse-switch remains a threat and one OTC ingredient of ongoing concern is codeine. In late 2019, New Zealand’s Medicines Classification Committee, following Australia’s lead, recommended that all codeine-containing medicines should be reverse-switched from OTC to Rx. In January 2020, citing “widespread concern about the abuse of codeine-containing preparations nationally and globally”, the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority said it is reviewing the scheduling status of codeine and codeine-containing medicines which are available without a prescription.

CHC.NewDirections is an e-newsletter sent every Tuesday, with a focus on innovation, science and regulation. Coverage spans Rx-to-OTC switch, CBD, relevant medical research, probiotics, medical devices and new delivery formats, digital health / AI, e-cigarettes and much more! For more information, or to arrange a free trial, please contact Melissa.Lee@NicholasHall.com

GSK and Sanofi seek to stand alone

Structural reorganisation is on the agenda of two of the world’s leading CHC marketers in 2020. GSK’s consumer health tie-up with Pfizer in August 2019 was last year’s major M&A development and now the company’s next ambition is to list the new CHC business on the London Stock Exchange. As for Sanofi, the company unveiled a new strategy just before Christmas, including making Sanofi Consumer Healthcare a standalone business. In the meantime, both companies continue to trim their CHC portfolios.

In December 2019, Pfizer agreed to divest its topical pain management business, ThermaCare, to Italian-based Angelini for an undisclosed sum, reports apotheke.adhoc.de. In July 2019, the European Commission approved the consumer healthcare merger of GSK and Pfizer, conditional upon the global divestment of ThermaCare. The agreement follows Angelini’s acquisition of BoxaGrippal systemic cold & flu remedy and the Heumann herbal medicinal tea range from Sanofi in August 2019.

Meanwhile, it was announced this month that BI is to sell Buscopan antispasmodic and Buscofem menstrual pain analgesic to Hypera Pharma in Brazil for Rs1.3bn (US$329mn). The deal, which is subject to approval by Administrative Council for Economic Defence (CADE), is in line with Hypera’s strategy of strengthening its portfolio with “established brands with high growth potential”. Under the terms of its 2017 business swap with BI, Sanofi has acquisition preference for the brands and could still pose a counteroffer. However, industry sources suggest that the company is unlikely to exercise this right.

In December 2019, Sanofi unveiled a new strategy to drive innovation and growth, focusing on three core global business units: Specialty Care, Vaccines and General Medicines. Consumer Healthcare will be a standalone business unit with integrated R&D and manufacturing functions. CEO Paul Hudson explained: “Our objective for the CH business is to unlock value and entrepreneurial energy by growing faster than the market over the mid-term. We believe the new standalone structure, coupled with plans to accelerate the OTC switches for Cialis and Tamiflu, will position the business well to accomplish this ambition.” Hudson added that the Rx erectile dysfunction treatment and flu remedy are expected to switch by 2026, adding around US$1bn to Sanofi’s top line.

Are you looking to make a strategic or bolt-on acquisition? If so, our Consultancy team would be happy to have a confidential discussion with you. Our specialist team can negotiate the successful acquisition of companies and brands, asset swaps, fostering and financing. We work with a number of strategic and financial partners to evaluate potential opportunities – for buyers and sellers – in the M&A, licensing and fundraising space. To find out more, please contact ekaterina.panteleeva@NicholasHall.com.