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Chain Drug Review/October 27, 2014
Supplier News
Dermatologists bullish on Ermis
ANNAPOLIS, Md. — Ermis
Labs’ new medicated skin
care bars drew an overwhelmingly positive response at the
American Academy of Dermatology Summer Conference in
Chicago.
Conference attendees welcomed the bars, which are formulated to help relieve such
conditions as acne, psoriasis
and atopic dermatitis, as complements to prescription dermatological products.
“Dermatologists visited the
Ermis Labs booth with great
excitement to see and feel the
new medicated skin care bars,”
says vice president of operations Brian McNamara. “They
were very happy to see the bars
come back into dermatology.”
The Ermis team has over 35
years of combined experience
in the pharmaceutical and overthe-counter dermatology space,
notes McNamara. “As they
watch the current health care
picture, it becomes clearer and
clearer that the prescription
skin care business needs a new
partner.”
As tighter managed care rules
in the dermatology space force
greater use of generic prescription products, the bars offer ideal adjunct therapy, he adds.
Patients need to know that
they can “partner” their generic prescription products
with well-formulated over-thecounter medicated skin care
products, says McNamara. “As
mono-therapy, the medicated
bars offer skin care results at a
very low price.”
The focus of Ermis’ medicated
bar program is to provide wellproven molecules in a delivery
form that all consumers understand how to use.
Great care was taken to formulate a collection of medicated bars that would not dry the
skin. “Historically, medicated
bars were focused on delivering the active ingredient,” McNamara notes. “Our focus went
beyond the simple delivery of
an active ingredient.”
Ermis formulations incorporate vitamin A to keep skin cells
healthy, vitamin E to protect
skin cells from damaging free
radicals, coconut oil to hydrate
the skin, shea butter to heal the
skin and sea whip coral extract
to calm the skin.
The increase in bar popularity, coupled with the impending rise of O-T-C medicated skin
care, makes for a very successful financial outlook, adds McNamara. A 2013 Mintel survey
of 2,000 adults found that 50%
use bar soap or body wash on
their face. This was true across
all income levels. In fact, 44%
of families with incomes of
$150,000 or more reported using bar soap or body wash for
The new Ermis Labs’ line includes five medicated skin care bars.
facial cleansing. The lesson is
that bar soap is not just for the
body but can be used as part of
a facial skin care routine, McNamara says. Additionally, bars
have seen a resurgence because they last longer and present a better value than washes.
Ermis’ line comprises a 2%
pyrithione zinc seborrheic dermatitis and dandruff medicated
bar, 10% benzoyl peroxide acne
treatment cleansing bar, 2% salicylic acne treatment exfoliating
cleansing bar, 1% tolnaftate/9%
sulfur antifungal medicated bar,
and 0.5% coal tar psoriasis medicated bar.
UrgentRx founder named ‘intriguing entrepreneur’
DENVER — UrgentRx founder
and chief executive officer Jordan Eisenberg has been named
one of the “100 Most Intriguing
Entrepreneurs of 2014” by Goldman Sachs, which made the announcement at its recent Builders and Innovators Summit in
Santa Barbara, Calif. Goldman
Sachs selected Eisenberg as one
of 100 entrepreneurs from multiple industries to be honored at
the two-day event.
“I am honored to be included
among such a talented and diverse group of entrepreneurs,”
said Eisenberg. “At UrgentRx,
we’re committed to bringing
new and exciting products to
market that help consumers feel
better fast. UrgentRx continues
to disrupt the O-T-C medication
category through innovative
products and impactful consumer marketing. It’s great to be recognized for all of our hard work.”
Before founding UrgentRx,
Eisenberg debuted the Buddy
Network, a consumer mobile
app business that launched
a top iPhone app. In addition,
Eisenberg built and sold a successful promotional product
business based on products he
invented and patented (including the CollarCard and BottleCard). He has also invented and
licensed a medical device to a
major manufacturer.
Previously, Eisenberg worked
alongside entrepreneur Maurice Kanbar (founder of Skyy
Vodka), where he was instrumental in the production and
launch of several consumer
product businesses.
“We are honored to recognize Jordan as one of the most
intriguing entrepreneurs of
2014,” said David Solomon, cohead of investment banking
at Goldman Sachs. “This is the
third year for the summit and
our goal remains the same. We
pair seasoned and emerging entrepreneurs — the builders and
p012_CDR_10-27-14 12
er. UrgentRx Fast Powders are
available in single-dose packets
and recently launched 10-count
boxes. The products — which
include Headache Relief to Go
and Heartburn Relief to Go —
are intended to treat various
common ailments.
UrgentRx Fast Powders don’t
require water and use proven
and effective active ingredients.
Carmex gives skin care packaging a new look
Carmex’s updated packaging.
NEW YORK — Long recognized as a go-to product to
relieve dry, chapped lips, Carmex (Carma Laboratories Inc.)
is bringing a fresh look to skin
care shelves at chain drug
stores and other retail outlets.
The brand recently refreshed
its skin care packaging to highlight the therapeutic qualities
of the line, including a medical
seal on a white tube that fades
to the brand’s classic Carmex
yellow.
The line’s replenishing cream,
fragrance-free replenishing
cream and hydrating lotion are
clinically proven to moistur-
GreatCall rolls out to Rite Aid stores
SAN DIEGO — A suite of connected health and safety products and services marketed
by GreatCall Inc. is now available in more than 4,000 Rite
Aid Corp. stores. GreatCall describes itself as the leader in
creating mobile health and safety solutions for active aging.
The rollout of GreatCall’s
lineup — including the Touch3,
Splash and Jitterbug5 phones
— uses custom displays that
include the full product range,
innovators — from a diverse set
of industries to discuss how to
make vital, enduring companies that reshape industries and
boost the world’s economies
through innovation.”
UrgentRx produces a line of
fast-acting, portable over-thecounter medications that are
said to provide “right now relief” for the on-the-go consum-
demo phones and brochures.
By providing an easier and
more convenient method of
managing health needs, GreatCall says it is bringing older
adults into the mobile health
revolution.
“Today’s older adults are redefining the way we age, and
GreatCall’s mission is to provide them with usable solutions
to keep them thriving,” says
GreatCall chief marketing officer Bill Yates. “Through Rite
Aid, we are bringing this vision
to life.”
GreatCall’s active aging services include MedCoach, a
medication reminder app that
enables users to easily follow
medication schedules as prescribed by their doctors, and
the GreatCall Link app, which
gives family caregivers peace of
mind by providing both critical
information in an urgent situation and snapshots of normal
daily activities.
ize, and they absorb fast for a
nongreasy feeling.
With a rich moisturizing formula that incorporates aloe
and vitamin E, the products
will help keep skin soft and
smooth with daily use, according to the manufacturer.
The cream and hydrating
lotion use a patent-pending
process to heal, moisturize
and help repair dry skin without leaving a greasy feeling.
The hydrating lotion features
aloe, vitamin E and allantoin
to heal dry skin and replenish
and moisturize for soft, smooth
skin.
The healing cream features
a thick, concentrated formula
that is said to penetrate the
skin. It features nine healing and moisturizing ingredients that combine to provide
a fresh, clean scent, says the
company.
In addition, the line includes
a healing ointment, which is
the first ointment product from
Carma. The waterless formula
uses petrolatum — considered
to be one of the most effective
moisturizing agents — to create a thick barrier on the skin
that aids moisturization as it
smoothes the skin.
ECRM launches redesigned website
SOLON, Ohio — ECRM has launched new features into its website,
www.ecrm.marketgate.com, offering visitors a fresh look, improved
navigation and intuitive functionality. With this redesign, all of the
ECRM tools are still available but have been upgraded to make the buying and selling process more efficient.
“The enhanced features give our clients an easier way to access essential event information while providing news about the latest happenings within the buying and selling community,” says Kurt Repola, chief
architect at ECRM.
The enhancements include a streamlined appearance across all pages;
a redesigned homepage, providing a simplified message; a reconfigured
My MarketGate, to improve ease of use; event pages that are easier to
navigate; and a simplified registration process.
10/17/14 4:01 PM