Empowered Patient Podcast Redefining Pain Management with Innovative Salonpas OTC Topical Analgesics with John Incledon Hisamitsu America
John Incledon, President and CEO of Hisamitsu America, the makers of Salonpas, has seen enormous growth in the acceptance of over-the-counter topical pain management options since introducing the Salonpas analgesic patch in the US market 37 years ago. This growth is partly due to television ads featuring doctors touting the benefits of Salonpas for mild to moderate nerve-related and muscle-related pain and the sampling program that aims to get doctors and patients to try out the products.
John explains, "Topical medications have only been around since the 1960s, with the introduction of the first OTC monograph by the FDA. Salonpas itself was formally introduced to the United States in 1987, so we’ve been around some 37 years or so as a brand in this country. And so, it’s been a challenge. I’ll give you a couple of fun facts: 85% of US households have a pill form of an OTC pain reliever in their house, and 30% have a topical analgesic of any sort, a cream, a roll-on, or a patch. So, there’s a great disparity there. Pills remain a modality, topicals are up and coming, and I think the horizon for them is excellent."
"Topicals work locally, at least OTC topical analgesics. You can wear patches and things intended to be systemic, but in this category and the products we’re talking about, they’re not. They’re intended basically just to work below the surface of the skin. There are pain receptors that certain actives will trigger to help minimize the pain. However, they’re not intended to get into the bloodstream, so by working locally and acting locally, they’re generally safer than systemic analgesics."
"We have basically two mechanisms of action in our products. One is anesthetic-based and uses lidocaine, and lidocaine is going to be most appropriate to the extent that you can diagnose this if your source of pain is from aggravated nerves. So if your lower back pain is tending to move outward, say, from the spine, you want to use an anesthetic to treat that, and so, a lidocaine-based product would be best."
"If it’s purely muscle-related, then you’re better off with our alternative formulas, which include menthol, methyl salicylate, and camphor. Methyl salicylate is an aspirin derivative, so it’s categorized as a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory but topically applied, as opposed to systemically."
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