Perrigo to Introduce New Dosing, Labeling For Some Pediatric Pain Meds
Allegan-based Perrigo Co. (Nasdaq: PRGO) said Thursday that it will be changing the dosing device for pediatric suspensions from a dropper to a new syringe dosing system designed to help consumers more clearly dispense the proper amount of medication.
The company will also be labeling its dye-free infants' and children's pediatric suspensions as high-fructose corn syrup-free.
These product improvements will occur this summer when Perrigo and other manufacturers transition to the same single concentration (160 mg / 5 mL) for all single-ingredient over-the-counter pediatric liquid acetaminophen products.
At that time, Perrigo's new infant acetaminophen formulas will contain the same amount of active ingredient (per mL) as the current children's pain relief formulas on the market.
Based on a January 2011 survey of 400 practicing pediatricians, Perrigo found that pediatricians support this improvement. More than 80 percent of pediatricians surveyed thought that the active ingredient concentration (per mL) of infant and children's acetaminophen OTC liquid pain reliever/fever reducers should be the same.
A majority of the pediatricians also support the move from a dropper to a syringe dosing system, primarily because they felt the syringe was more accurate, safe and hygienic. Perrigo will be conducting an extensive pediatrician outreach program to educate pediatricians on the new changes.
Perrigo also recently conducted extensive research with parents on infants' and children's OTC products that relieve pain and reduce fever. More than half of the 600 mothers surveyed indicated a preference for children's medications that contained no high-fructose corn syrup. In response, Perrigo will begin labeling their dye-free formulas as "high-fructose corn syrup free." As part of an earlier, industry-first initiative, all of Perrigo's infant pediatric acetaminophen products will be available with "gluten free" labeling.
"At Perrigo, we pride ourselves in bringing meaningful improvements to market, while continuing to deliver the highest quality and the best value to consumers," said Perrigo's chairman and CEO Joseph C. Papa.
Perrigo is the world's largest manufacturer of OTC pharmaceutical products for the store brand market. Today, more than 95 percent of "store brand" – meaning those found under retailers' own brand labels – pediatric acetaminophen and ibuprofen suspensions are manufactured for retailers by Perrigo. The company's infants', children's and adult's ibuprofen and acetaminophen-based pain relievers are manufactured under the same FDA guidelines and contain the same FDA-approved active ingredients as the national brand.
Perrigo develops, manufactures and distributes OTC and generic prescription pharmaceuticals, infant formulas, nutritional products, active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) and pharmaceutical and medical diagnostic products. Perrigo's primary markets and locations of manufacturing and logistics operations are the United States, Israel, Mexico, the United Kingdom and Australia.
More at www.perrigo.com.
