fmcg unilever?, page-12

To speculate RB as our FMCG is certainly valid and my previously mentioned Buprenorphine products patent expiry in the US last year would be a trigger for RB to search for innovative delivery technology as a form of market share extension while patent is already expired.



Nurofen, another analgensic brand name of RB, has a broad product pipeline for OTC use.
We know from previous announcements regarding the FMCG that our technology is used for enhanced delivery of one of their main product names, Nurofen is therefore a legitimate candidate to contemplate.


As we have to go back 5 years to the early starts of FMCG and GSK involvement, it makes sense to look back and realise what OBJ was concentrating on at that time.
Jeff Edwards had just isolated Tripeptofen ( which is a non steroid NSAIDS and used for pain relief ) as a biproduct of the Thermalife production for PNO ( OBJ's sister company ) and patented, this had happened in 2004.
In 2005 he patented our magnetic technology for OBJ, a year later.
The conclusion that pain relief was amongst the early applications targetted by OBJ is therefore an easy one to make.


RB had acquired Nurofen as part of the Boots Healthcare takeover in 2006. Later that year RB appoints Virgo HEALTH PR as Nurofen Global PR agency for central team.
The appointment marks the first centrally driven PR programme for Nurofen.

http://www.rb.com/site/RKBR/Templates/MediaInvestorsGeneral2.aspx?pageid=241&cc=GB



That is the same year our FMCG appeared on the OBJ radar.
Many generic products containing Ibuprofen can already be bought under various different brand names, eg Nurofen (made by Reckitt Benckiser), Brufen (made by Abbott) and Anadin ultra (made by Wyeth Consumer Healthcare), to name but a few. All of these contain ibuprofen as the generic medicine.
This variety of generic products using the same ingredient causes competition.
In order to gain market advantage it would make sense to
revolutionise the delivery of the product in order to stand out and gain market leadership.

It would therefore, in my speculared scenario, be plausible to argue that RB would simultaneously with its Nurofen acquisition also explore options for innovative delivery technology, particularly since most Nurofen products are administered orally ( with the exception of a few capsules ).

Buprenorphine and its pipeline products Subutex and Suboxone would be the logical continuation in prescription pain relief with what has worked well for OTC products within the same FMCG giant.