Taro receives patent for head lice treatment

HAWTHORNE, N.Y. Taro announced that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has issued a patent covering its topical head lice treatment.

Ovide (malathion) lotion, 0.5%, was given a patent for a highly pure form of malathion for topical pharmaceutical use, a method of making pure pharmaceutical grade malathion, as well as for a formulation containing the pharmaceutical grade malathion and a method for treating head lice.

In the past year over 250,000 prescriptions for Ovide (malathion) lotion, 0.5% were filled in the U.S., making Ovide the number one prescription treatment for head lice, according to the company.The American Academy of Pediatrics estimates that between six and 12 million Americans are infested with head lice each year, with school children and their families most affected.

Taro is a multinational, science-based pharmaceutical company, dedicated to meeting the needs of its customers through the discovery, development, manufacturing and marketing of the highest quality healthcare products.