Mentax to Be Launched in the US as OTC Drug for Athlete's Foot(February 8, 2002)
KAKEN PHARMACEUTICAL CO., LTD. ( headquarters: Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo; president: Shiro Inui ) has announced that Schering-Plough HealthCare Products, Inc. ( headquarters: New Jersey, USA ) obtained the marketing approval for Mentax ( butenafine HCl ) as a switch OTC antifungal drug against trichophyton from the US FDA on December 7, 2001.

Mentax has been licensed by KAKEN to Bertek Pharmaceuticals, Inc. ( headquarters: North Carolina, USA ) and has been widely used as an ethical drug in the US. Bertek has sub-licensed the drug to Schering-Plough HealthCare Products as an OTC drug.

Schering-Plough HealthCare Products plans to launch the drug under the trade name of Lotrimin Ultra at the end of February 2002. Over 20 million people are thought to suffer from athlete's foot in the US. The Lotrimin Brand has a share of about 25% in the US market for OTC drugs for athlete's foot.

KAKEN will supply the bulk chemical to Schering-Plough HealthCare Products through Bertek.