Johnson & Johnson.MSD Comsumer Pharmaceuticals changes name to McNeil

Johnson & Johnson.MSD Consumer Pharmaceuticals, a joint venture between J&J and Merck, Sharpe and Dohme, has changed its name to McNeil Ltd, and has affirmed its aim to become a leading over-the-counter company in Europe. The firm simultaneously reported that it had recorded the most successful year to date for its anti-diarrhoea brand Imodium (loperamide), first launched as an OTC drug 21 years ago. Imodium now leads the market with a 58.8% share, its growth over recent years boosted by a sustained robust performance of Imodium plus and the launch of Imodium Instants in 2002, McNeil noted.