LEINER AUGMENTS PHARMACIST FORMULA OTC LINE
This article was originally published in The Tan Sheet
Executive Summary
LEINER AUGMENTS PHARMACIST FORMULA OTC LINE in November with the addition of Bulk Forming Fiber Laxative tablets modeled after Lederle's FiberCon tablets. The Torrance, Calif.-based vitamin and OTC manufacturer also is launching this month a decongestant inhaler (1-desoxyephedrine) based on P&G's Vicks Decongestant Nasal Inhaler, a cough/cold softgel product similar to Burroughs Wellcome's Sudafed softgels, and a yellow phenolphthalein/docusate sodium stool softener based on Upjohn's Doxidan. The new offerings under Leiner's Pharmacist Formula control brand also include copies of Sterling's Bayer enteric-coated aspirin 81 mg tablets; P&G's Chloraseptic menthol-green sore throat lozenges; SmithKline Beecham's maximum strength Sucrets in black cherry flavor; and Ciba's Dulcolax laxative tablets. Pharmacist Formula products are sold nationally at chains including Drug Emporium, F&M, Marc's and Target. Leiner is in the midst of a pilot test with Osco stores in Chicago, Boston, Las Vegas and Phoenix that began in October and is slated to end around March. The Osco test includes television and radio advertising of the brand in those regions, as well as free- standing inserts and print ads appearing in Ladies Home Journal. . The new Pharmacist Formula product offerings also will be available to private-label customers, Leiner said. By February 1994, Leiner plans to add several other OTCs to its stable, such as SlumberTime softgels, a nighttime sloop-aid mirrored after Pfizer's Unisom SleepGels, and motion sickness tablets based on Upjohn's Dramamine II meclizine HCI product. Similar private-label products also are being launched by Perrigo. Leiner's private-label roster expansion in February also will include DryFedrine softgels cough formula, similar to Schering- Plough's Drixoral Cough Softgels, as well as knock-offs of Vicks 44 Cold, Flu & Cough Liquicaps and Vicks 44 Cough & Cold Liquicaps. In March, two sinus products will join the line copied from P&G's DayQuil Sinus caplets and DayQuil Sinus and Pain caplets. March also will bring a product modeled after Schering- Plough's Afrin Moisturizing 12-Hour Nasal Spray. Other SKUs that will be added by Leiner during January and February are products based on Doxidan liquid gels in blister packs, and SmithKline's Tums tablets in wintergreen, peppermint and cherry flavors. Further back in development at Leiner is a chewable version of Dramamine; 12-hour liquid-filled capsules patterned after the Drixoral Non-Drowsy formula; a version of SmithKline's Ecotrin low-dose aspirin tablets; a knock-off of Rhone-Poulenc Rorer's Mylanta chewable antacid lozenges; and copies of McNeil's PediaCare chewable cold/allergy tablets and PediaCare chewable cough/cold tablets. Leiner also indicated that it plans to soon offer private-label versions of Chloraseptic liquid throat sprays and Robins Consumer's Dimetapp Allergy Liqui-Gels. Apart from OTCs, Leiner plans to begin shipping by the end of the year two new vitamin formulas under its Your Life brand -- Central-Vite Plus and Natural Iron-Free Multi-Vitamin & Mineral Formula. Characterized by Leiner as a "high-potency" multivitamin and multimineral formula, Central-Vite Plus will contain "twice as much vitamin E, vitamin C and beta carotene" as Lederle's Centram, as well as "50% more zinc and copper, 300% more chromium [and] 125% more selenium," according to Leiner promotional materials. The formula also contains "less iron" than Centrum, because "some recent studies suggest a link between iron and the formation of cell- and tissue-damaging free radicals," Leiner asserted. The Natural Iron-Free Multi-Vitamin & Mineral Formula will contain "no sugar, no preservatives, [no] artificial color, [no] artificial flavor [and] no salt," Leiner is telling the trade. According to Leiner, the product will contain the U.S. Recommended Dietary Allowance for 11 essential vitamins and 17 minerals. The two additions to the Your Life vitamin line follow on the heels of eight other new vitamin products recently introduced under the Your Life label that will carry the Olympic logo through the 1996 summer games in Atlanta ("The Tan Sheet" Nov. 15, p. 15). Leiner Health Products sells over 200 OTC products as well being "America's largest supplier of vitamins and nutritional supplements," the firm said. Overall, Leiner makes about 6,000 SKUs of vitamins, nutritional supplements, OTC drugs, diet, skin and personal care products in its 1.1 mil.-square-feet in production capacity. Leiner customers include Safeway, Walgreens, CVS, Revco and Rite Aid. In addition to offering private-label items and products under the Pharmacist Formula and Your Life brands, Leiner sells health and beauty care items under the Natural Life brand, and skin, hair and body care products under the Bodycology name.