"Switch" drugs next frontier in Japan

As a result of Japanese government efforts to expand the use of over-the-counter medicines, which are paid for entirely by consumers rather than the health insurance system, there has been an increasing number of prescription drug compounds switching to OTC status, reports the Nikkei Weekly newspaper.

Because the list of active ingredients allowed in self-medication products in Japan is limited, drugmakers are typically using those found in prescription products that have been proved safe and effective for their OTCs. Overseas-headquartered companies have been more aggressive in this respect than domestic drug firms, with OTC switch offerings now launched by multinationals such as Novartis, GlaxoSmithKline and Boehringer Ingelheim.

However, the newspaper notes, new switch drugs will continue to appear, along with a 2009 legal reform. The Japan Self-Medication Industry's list of candidates includes cholesterol-lowering and antihypertensive drugs.