Small Business Matters

The European Council adopts its negotiating position with regards to the Green Claims Directive, which aims to prevent greenwashing and empower consumers in making informed, environmentally conscious purchasing decisions. While small and medium-sized enterprises stand to specifically benefit from the Council's more flexible approach, companies in general may be allowed to make certain explicit environmental claims without third-party verification.

UK medical devices manufacturer Owen Mumford moves into consumer health with umbrella brand Clariti and OTC relaunch of at-home vaginismus and dyspareunia treatment Amielle Comfort.

In this episode of HBW Insight's Over the Counter podcast, we chat with women’s health start-up The SABI about the power of herbal medicine for hormonal wellness.

Karo Healthcare has big plans for its expanding range of global OTC brands, the firm reveals in this exclusive Q&A. 

Relevance, distinctiveness and credibility all matter when it comes to positioning OTC brands to grow within a crowded shelf and sluggish market, argue IQVIA Consumer Health and Ceuta Group in a recent webinar.

Bayer Consumer Health and its effervescent vitamin brand Berocca were subjects of denigratory remarks by an online competitor in a recent UK advertising complaint ruling. The ASA’s Freddie Alcock talks HBW Insight through the complaint, explaining in this exclusive interview why denigration is never a good look for advertisers.

Focus and persistence are the keys to successful brand and company growth, according to TheOTCLab's founder and CEO Albert Swane, speaking to HBW Insight's Over The Counter podcast. 

Haleon says it'll take about 10 more months to bring Futura's Eroxon erectile dysfunction gel to the US. Analysts, however, say it may even arrive before the end of the year, with Haleon already investing significantly in its launch strategy. 

Bayer Consumer Health's recently established Precision Health unit launches its Aspirin Heart Risk Assessment tool in Saudi Arabia. Developed in partnership with British medtech firm Huma Therapeutics, Bayer is planning to roll out the digital tool to other countries in the Middle East and also Latin America. 

Infirst has been admonished by UK ad authority, ASA, for implying in a TV commercial its lipid-based ibuprofen brand Flarin was more, or uniquely, effective for joint pain relief than other forms of ibuprofen.

The combination of Clasado's Bimuno GOS prebiotic and Probi's Defendum probiotic has been shown to significantly increase lactate levels and increase short chain fatty acid butyrate by 26% - “two important gut health promoting components that are also associated with supporting immune health,” Clasado said.

UK switch specialist Maxwellia delivers two “me too” reclassifications in the area of women's health: Evana Heavy Period Relief and Ultravana Period Pain Relief. 

Futura recorded its first notable revenues last year, generated by the launch of its Eroxon erectile dysfunction gel in the UK and Europe, marking the company's transition from an R&D startup to a consumer healthcare player in its own right. To mark the occasion, CEO James Barder outlines a new strategy, with a focus on innovation in sexual wellness, further global partnerships and sustained profitability. 

In this episode, HBW Insight dives into personalized wellness with Marni Allen, chief marketing officer at tailored supplements manufacturer Bioniq. Named as one of EY UK's 50 Women to Watch in 2022, Allen has over 20 years’ experience in consumer healthcare, and is now working with Bioniq to create the next generation of bespoke wellness products for consumers across the world. As well as its top tier at-home blood test-based service, Bioniq also offers an affordable questionnaire-based option, which leverages the power of AI to analyse users’ nutritional needs and provide unique supplement formulations in the post. Although personalized wellness is still somewhat niche, Allen suggests that AI-based models like Bioniq offer an attractive option for traditional consumer health companies looking to get into this fast-growing market.

Exclusion from procurement processes, confiscation of revenues, and a fine of at least 4% of annual turnover are some of the penalties the European Parliament is considering for greenwashing as part of its position on the EU Green Claims Directive. 

Thousands of UK families will be supported with oral spray vitamins among other things thanks to an ongoing partnership between UK supplements manufacturer BetterYou and UK charity Baby Basics.