LecTec, Becton Dickinson to introduce new external analgesic patches in fall.

LECTEC THERAPATCH RELAUNCH SLATED FOR SEPTEMBER will target the product to a broader range of consumers, the medical device company said. The plans for the relaunch come after LecTec's agreement with Minneapolis, Minn.-based CNS, which had exclusive retail distribution rights, ended June 30 ("The Tan Sheet" July 6, In Brief). Breathe Right nasal strips marketer CNS, which launched the product in January 1997, said the product did not fit with its strategic goals ("The Tan Sheet" Jan. 27, 1997, p. 10).

LecTec plans to rename the methyl salicylate/menthol/camphor product TheraPatch Cool and simultaneously introduce a capsaicin patch as TheraPatch Warm. The products will be the Minnetonka, Minn.-based company's first independently marketed OTC at retail.

As part of its efforts to reposition the product to a more general audience, LecTec intends to repackage TheraPatch. CNS' current packaging highlights "Arthritis Pain Relief" on the principal display panel, while LecTec plans to position it as an active-lifestyle product, aimed at everyone from weekend warriors to arthritis sufferers.

The company will begin running print ads for the product in October issues of women's and health and fitness magazines. LecTec, which is creating the print ads in-house, also will work with retail chains on co-op promotionals for the product.

In mid-July, Becton Dickinson plans to ship both a methyl salicylate/menthol "Clear" patch and methyl salicylate/menthol/camphor "Hydrogel" patch under its Ace brand. B-D plans to target the product to active consumers between 28-45, leveraging the brand's reputation for active-lifestyle products such as elastic bandages and knee braces.

The PDPs claim "For fast, long-lasting relief of minor aches and pains" and show photos of both a man and woman engaged in activities such as bicycling, weightlifting, playing tennis or golfing. The analgesic patch, which is the company's first OTC under the Ace brand, has been picked up by several major drug chains and mass marketers. The patches will be priced comparably to competitors. Becton Dickinson also is considering marketing a patch for chronic ailments such as arthritis under its Bauer & Black brand.

A two-page trade ad says the Ace topical analgesic patch is "an accepted alternative" to ointments and creams, noting focus group results have shown the patch is easier to apply with less mess, provides up to eight hours of relief and is portable. The patch market grew 53% from 1996 to 1997, according to data cited from Chicago-based Information Resources, Inc. B-D attributes the patch's increasing popularity to its natural ingredients, consumers' interest in a more holistic approach to healing and the desire to move away from internal analgesic products.

Consumer print advertising will begin later this summer in active-lifestyle and 50+ consumer magazines, such as Prevention, Living Fit, Fitness, Arthritis Today, Health and possibly other sport-specific fitness magazines. The company also plans cross-product couponing and public relations support on radio and in newspapers.

Amidst the multiple patch introductions, FDA still has not resolved all its regulatory concerns regarding the delivery system, although the agency agreed in a July 8 meeting the external analgesics tentative final monograph did not exclude the dosage form.

The success of the Rx-to-OTC switch nicotine cessation patches may have both heightened the popularity of the vehicle and improved the regulatory environment for other types of patch products. LecTec is not conducting any new studies on the patch, although the company said it has considerable documentation on file. Becton Dickinson has conducted safety and efficacy clinicals. In addition to Hisamitsu, LecTec and B-D, Mentholatum markets a menthol patch under the name Pain Patch.