TWO DRUG FIRMS MERGE OTC DIVISIONS
By Adnews Staff
Montreal-based Merck Frosst Canada and McNeil Consumer Products are joining forces to market over-the-counter drugs. McNeil is a division of Johnson & Johnson. The new unit, called Johnson & Johnson * Merck Consumer Pharmaceuticals of Canada, will be based in McNeil's headquarters in Guelph, Ont. The drugs to be co-marketed include Merck Frosst's Pepcid, which will be available in Canada later this year, arthritis pain reliever Entrophen, 222 analgesics and Fleet Enema. McNeil drugs include Kaopectate antidiarrheal, Hismanal antihistamine and the Nicotrol smoking patch. No final decisions have been made regarding advertising, but the agencies currently handling the brands involved will likely continue with their assignments, McNeil communications director Héléne Carty told Adnews yesterday. However, the company hasn't decided yet who will handle advertising for Pepcid when it comes to Canada. Carty would not say if there would be an agency search. McNeil's sales and marketing vice-president Ian Lang will hold the same position for the joint venture. Advertising for McNeil's OTC drugs is done by MacLaren McCann, Reidcorp Advertising/Consultants and Saatchi & Saatchi Advertising, all of Toronto. BCP of Montreal handles advertising for Merck Frosst's OTC medications. The joint venture follows similar moves by the two companies in the U.S. in 1989 and subsequently in Europe.