pain patch

I have long speculated that our own pain patch development was introduced on the heels of successful testing for an analgesic compound within a transdermal patch of Reckitt Benckiser for the OTC market.

RB had been very active developing other transdermal pain patch versions, mainly containing Buprenorphine.
It would in this context only make economic sense to use the spent resources for such innovations to spin off applications into the OTC market which is extremely lucrative.


The following paper from 2010 is a good read in general about pain relief but also provides some insights which might shed a light on something OBJ specific.

Topical preparations for pain relief: efficacy and patient adherence



While this article covers iontophoresis and phonophoresis as ways to enhance delivery of drugs through the skin, it makes a distinctive reference towards Nurofen, my speculated OTC compound of Reckitt Benckiser to be the target for an innovative transdermal patch.


Studies suggest 5% ibuprofen gel (Nurofen® Gel; Reckitt Benckiser, Slough, UK) has comparable efficacy to 400 mg oral ibuprofen thrice daily for the treatment of acute pain following musculoskeletal injuries

To read about this particular study:

Efficacy and safety of 5% ibuprofen cream treatment in knee osteoarthritis. Results of a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study



CONCLUSION: The efficacy and safety of ibuprofen cream in treatment of primary knee OA were statistically significant and clinically relevant compared to placebo.

I do believe that this was the onset within Reckitt Benckiser to pursue a patch containing Nurofen for the muscosceletal pain market.


This might explain why we see this knee patch on the OBJ website since years without ever having the slightest idea how it got there?




Why does OBJ announce its own pain patch program for which is have absolutely no money to spend, can never afford it and would be squashed by globals in attemtping this on its own, when our FMCG has just a year before finalised marketing assessment of its prototype?
One wonders.

2007 saw many filings within RB for new transdermal patents, the year the FMCG started its collaboration with OBJ.
Yet another coincidence, no doubt.


Interestingly, GBR just recently referred to RB's innovative program which coincides in its timelines of when it was put into place and what it aims to achieve with our first FMCG announcements, dating back to 2007, very nicely.