Prevacid 24HR receives approval for OTC sale

NEW YORK Novartis Consumer Healthcare on Thursday announced that its Rx-to-OTC switch application of the proton-pump inhibitor Prevacid 24HR has been approved for sale OTC and will soon be available on shelf.

“This is an important development for the 50 million Americans who suffer from frequent heartburn,” stated Brian Fennerty of Oregon Health and Science University. “Prescription-strength Prevacid 24HR treats frequent heartburn for a full 24 hours [and] will be an effective and well-tolerated over-the-counter option for treating frequent heartburn.”

In clinical studies, some people experienced complete relief of symptoms within 24 hours, however, it may take one to four days for full effect, similar to Prilosec OTC, Novartis noted.