When
the first thin-film breath fresheners reached the US market in 2001, researchers
at Novartis Consumer Health were convinced the new technology could be adapted
to deliver medicines as readily as mouthwash. Convenience
and compliance go hand in hand in self-medication. And it would be hard to beat
the convenience of handy strips of starch-based film the size of postage stamps
that melt on the tongue to deliver accurate doses of medication without mess or
waste. For all the promise of the technology, however, the innovators had to surmount
formidable technical hurdles. They succeeded – and
made Triaminic Thin Strips a model for the nimble product development driving
growth at the Consumer Health Division. “This is a story about vision, speed,
commitment and refusing to take no for an answer,” says Larry Allgaier, Head of
the Consumer Health Division’s OTC Business Unit. “Successful
innovation builds momentum,” he adds. “Our team was driven to make Novartis the
first company to improve well-being of consumers by putting real medicines in
Thin Strips.” |
| One
challenge in delivering a medicine with the Thin Strips formulation is
that the film format has a relatively restricted dosage capacity. It’s not possible
to deliver an adequate dose of all classes of over-the-counter medicines. At the
same time, active ingredients in many medicines have bitter, unpleasant flavors
– so effective taste-masking is essential for success.
And though speed was critical to the Thin Strips project, the OTC Business
Unit could not turn to one single supplier with the combined expertise required.
A potential supplier needed to be familiar with standards of good manufacturing
practice in the pharmaceutical industry. Yet sufficient
infrastructure to support an aggressive launch, acceptable costs and the sense
of urgency necessary to win a fiercely competitive commercial race also were indispensable.
“We literally went around the world but couldn’t find anybody with everything
it would take to get this done,” Mr. Allgaier recalls.
Instead, the project team hand-picked its future supply chain – one link at a
time. At a decisive meeting in the autumn of 2003, key suppliers were assembled
around a table for the first time. “We knew it wouldn’t happen unless we could
get all the suppliers to act as a seamless unit,” Mr. Allgaier says. “We needed
their commitment – to communicate proactively and resolve issues quickly to stay
on track for launch.” The ad-hoc group adhered to
ambitious timelines, culminating with the market debut of Triaminic Thin Strips,
a pediatric cough and cold product, in July 2004. The launch rejuvenated the Triaminic
brand. Net sales during 2005 surged 35% from the previous year. The market share
of |
| Triaminic
exceeded 20% last year for the first time since 1999, regaining share leadership
from Tylenol®. Theraflu Thin Strips, an
adult cough product, was also launched during 2004. Last year, a new cherry-flavored
Triaminic Thin Strips was introduced, complementing the original grape
flavor. Continued product development is expected to result in launches of additional
Thin Strips products from the OTC Business Unit in the future.
Thin Strips isn’t the only example at Novartis Consumer Health of successful
innovation focusing on novel delivery technologies. The Medical Nutrition Business
Unit translated key insights from market research about consumer preferences in
Japan to successfully launch Isocal Arginaid, a drink containing specific
nutrients to promote wound healing, in a major new market.
And the Animal Health Business Unit transformed shape, texture and flavor of traditional
pills to develop a potentially life-prolonging medicine more to the taste of finicky
cats – and to the relief of their owners, desperate for a better way to make the
medicine go down.
COMMON AND COSTLY HAZARD
Pressure ulcers are a common and costly health hazard for the growing number of
elderly people living in nursing homes or other long-term care facilities. The
main cause of pressure ulcers – or “bedsores” – is immobility. When a person isn’t
able to change position without help, the constant pressure on skin and muscle
can close tiny blood vessels that nourish the skin and supply oxygen.
Nutrition is a recognized and important component of pressure ulcer prevention
and |
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