OTC TAGAMET LAUNCHED IN UK
Hot on the heels of the launch of over-the-counter Pepcid AC (famotidine) in February by Centra Healthcare, SmithKline Beecham has launched its OTC version of cimetidine in the UK, under the trade name Tagamet 100.
The product is licensed for the relief of heartburn and dyspepsia and for the prophylaxis of nocturnal heartburn. SmithKline notes that its product is the only OTC drug licensed for this indication.
Tagamet was first licensed for the relief of peptic ulcer in 1976. The product's status from prescription-only to pharmacy drug was changed as part of the Medicines Control Agency's annual procedure on January 21. Interestingly, cimetidine's status was switched at the same time as famotidine, although the latter drug gained its license in the UK first. The reasons for this are unclear, although famotidine is not licensed for as wide a range of indications as cimetidine and therefore may have been able to gain its actual OTC marketing approval earlier.
This article is accessible to registered users, to continue reading please register for free. A free trial will give you access to exclusive features, interviews, round-ups and commentary from the sharpest minds in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology space for a week. If you are already a registered user please login. If your trial has come to an end, you can subscribe here.
Login to your accountTry before you buy
Free
7 day trial access
- All the news that moves the needle in pharma and biotech
- Exclusive features, podcasts, interviews, data analyses and commentary from our global network of life sciences reporters.
- Receive The Pharma Letter daily news bulletin, free forever.
Become a subscriber
£820
Or £77 per month
- Unfettered access to industry-leading news, commentary and analysis in pharma and biotech.
- Updates from clinical trials, conferences, M&A, licensing, financing, regulation, patents & legal, executive appointments, commercial strategy and financial results.
- Daily roundup of key events in pharma and biotech.
- Monthly in-depth briefings on Boardroom appointments and M&A news.
- Choose from a cost-effective annual package or a flexible monthly subscription
The Pharma Letter is an extremely useful and valuable Life Sciences service that brings together a daily update on performance people and products. It’s part of the key information for keeping me informed
Chairman, Sanofi Aventis UK
Today's issue
Company Spotlight
Copyright © The Pharma Letter 2025 | Headless Content Management with Blaze