2021 NACDS Total Store Expo product preview

AB Brands
Best known as the maker of the Bodycology, Cantu and Dr Teal’s brands, AB Brands is bringing two new lines to market — Aquation and Earth Supplied. Aquation features a line of epsom salts and bubble baths meant to improve bath time for children or parents. 

The Aquation Epsom salt soaks and bubble baths are sold in Sleep, Relax, Renew and Relieve formulations, with different ingredients tailored based on need state. For children, there are Happy and Sleepy bubble baths and soaks. 

Earth Supplied is focused on textured hair care that is free of potentially harmful ingredients across two lines — Moisture & Hold, and Strength & Length. The Moisture & Repair line includes a sulfate-free shampoo and silicone-free conditioner; a leave-in conditioner; the Curl Poppin’ Activator with shea butter and coconut oil for detangling and curl repair; Creamy Defining Gell-o for curl definition, hair bulk reduction and hold; and Shine & hold Mist, meant to offer moisture and shine while hydrating and smoothing frizzy curls.

Strength & Length’s lineup, which features products with castor oil and bamboo, include Hair Slip Conditioning Detangler, Night Night Lay Me Down overnight treatment, Strong Strands Protein Masque, Retention Oil Serum and Anti-Break Shine Oil.  

[Related Content: It's showtime: New products companies are debuting at NACDS Annual]

Alembic 
Alembic USA is the American subsidiary of Alembic Pharmaceuticals, India’s oldest pharmaceutical company. Based in Bridgewater, N.J., the company has focused on growing in dermatology, injectables and ophthalmic products since it launched in 2015. It currently sells more than 61 products in the United States. 

The company has logged a steady stream of Food and Drug Administration approvals this year, including for generic Cosopt (dorzolamide hydrochloride and timolol maleate ophthalmic solution, 2% and 0.5%, respectively), generic Norpramin (desipramine HCl tablets) and generic Tarceva (erlotinib), a treatment for non-small cell lung cancer. It also launched generic ProAmatine (midodrine HCl tablets), a treatment for symptomatic orthostatic hypotension. 

Aurobindo
In a competitive generics market, East Windsor, N.J.-based Aurobindo has been working to differentiate itself with its finished products, as well as its product development and active pharmaceutical ingredient capabilities. The company is focused on novel delivery methods for complex products, with a growing emphasis on such specialty products as metered-dose inhalers, aerosols and transdermal delivery systems. These products are the focus of its specialty research and development team based at its North Carolina facility. 

As it innovates, the company has also had a steady stream of product launches over the past year, most notably introducing a generic of Gilead’s HIV prevention and treatment Truvada (disoproxil fumarate tablets) — a product that had a market size of roughly $2.2 billion for the year ending January 2021. Other recent introductions include a generic of Adalat CC (nifedipine extended-release tablets) and Lioresal (baclofen tablets).

BD Diabetes Care
As a diabetes support company, BD Diabetes Care is always innovating. The division of BD, set to be spun off into a standalone company next year, is a leader in the insulin syringe and pen needle space, with additional offerings that include such self-injection support products as alcohol swabs and at-home sharps containment. 

Most recently, the company introduced the BD Nano 2nd Gen pen needle, an improvement on its BD Nano product. It offers a contoured needle base to increase comfort of injections, an easier-to-grip inner needle shield and the company’s BD Pentapoint Comfort and Easyflow technologies. Also in pen needles, BD Diabetes Care offers BD AutoShield Duo, which features patented automatic dual-protection shields on both ends of the needle meant to help prevent needlestick injuries. 

Bausch Health
Bridgewater, N.J.-based Bausch Health is certainly more than its well-known Bausch + Lomb brand. This year, the CPG company launched Envive, an OTC probiotic supplement meant to help reduce the frequency and severity of diarrhea, constipation, gas, bloating and discomfort while also strengthening the digestive system’s gut barrier. 

That’s not to say the Bausch + Lomb brand has been lagging. The most recent innovation the company is showcasing at NACDS TSE is its Biotrue Hydration Boost Lubricant Eye Drops and Biotrue Micellar Eyelid Cleansing Wipes. The preservative-free products are formulated to relieve symptoms of irritated and dry eyes. The drops can be used while wearing soft contact lenses and offer instant moisture, while the wipes help gently cleanse and hydrate the eyelid area to remove discomfort. 

Also new this year is Alaway Preservative Free antihistamine eye drops. Designed to offer up to 12 hours of eye-itch relief, it marks the first Food and Drug Administration-approved eye-itch relief drop. Sold in single-dose vials, the product blocks the release of histamines and reduces inflammation that usually occur in individuals suffering from allergies. 

[Related Content: Who’s who in immunity 2021]

The Bountiful Company
A lot has changed at The Bountiful Company since the last time NACDS Total Store Expo occurred. For one, the erstwhile Nature’s Bounty has a new name as of January, and a new owner as of May. The formerly private equity-owned company is being acquired by Nestle, with plans to be integrated into the Nestle Health Science division. 

Despite these changes, the company has been no slouch when it comes to innovation. Throughout the year, it has built out the Nature’s Bounty Brain Health Platform — an array of offerings focused on supplements designed to support brain health. The platform’s cornerstone is the Brain Superfood supplement. Offered as a vegan capsule, Brain Superfood contains a blend of plant-based antioxidants targeted to support short-term memory and concentration, including Cognigrape red grape powder, Lutemax 2020 marigold extract and wild blueberry extract. Also part of the company’s brain health offering is Nature’s Bounty Brain HP, a jelly bean targeted at gamers, and Brain Focus, a Coolmelts tablet meant to calm the mind and help with focus. 

The Bountiful Company also is capitalizing on two trends — beauty-focused supplements and innovative delivery methods — with its Nature’s Bounty Optimal Solutions Advanced Hair, Skin and Nails Jelly Bean. A first in the beauty supplement space, the jelly beans contain keratin and twice as much biotin as Nature’s Bounty’s original formula to support healthy hair, skin and nails. 

Camber Pharmaceuticals
A subsidiary of Indian generics giant Hetero Labs, Piscataway, N.J.-based Camber is able to leverage its parent company’s 36 global manufacturing sites for its roughly 300 generic products. Its offerings include products in such categories as HIV/AIDS, oncology, cardiovascular health, neurology, hepatitis and immunology among others. 

Recent approvals for the company includes its generics of hypokalemia treatment Klor-Con (potassium chloride extended-release tablets); angina, heart failure and high blood pressure treatment Toprol LX (metropolol succinate extended-release tablets); erosive esophagitis drug Prevacid (lansoprazole delayed-release tablets); HIV drug Kaletra (lopinavire and ritonavir); and ADHD treatment Strattera (atomoxetine tablets). 

The company also offers a range of OTC products for private label, including various allergy relief, pain relief, mucus relief and GERD products. 

Foundation Consumer Healthcare 
Over the past several years, Foundation Consumer Healthcare has proved itself to be a smart buyer. The Pittsburgh-based company, funded by Juggernaut Capital Partners and Kelso & Co., has CPG veterans at the helm and a growing portfolio of well-known brands, the most notable of which is Plan B One-Step Emergency Contraception, purchased from Teva in 2017.

The strategy is paying off, with the company saying it has grown sales by $25 million in the past five years, exceeding $800 million annually. 

Little more than a year ago, the company once again grew, purchasing seven brands from GSK Consumer Healthcare, including Breathe Right Nasal Strips. Foundation is breathing new life into Breathe Right this summer with an ad campaign, dubbed “Everybody Strip,” highlighting the nasal strips and their ability to relieve nasal congestion in various situations. 

Other brands in the company’s portfolio include Alavert, Anbesol, Bronkaid, Campho Phenique, Children’s Dimetapp, Dristan, FiberCon, Primatene Tablets and St. Joseph Aspirin. 

[Related Content: Sun care’s bright future]

GSK Consumer Healthcare
Since its combination with Pfizer Consumer, GSK Consumer Healthcare has not let off the gas, rolling out new products from its flagship brands while preparing to spin off into a standalone company in 2022. Last year, it came out of the gate with Advil Dual Action, an ibuprofen/acetaminophen combination that leveraged the well-known pain relief brand. 

In the past year, the company has introduced several notable additions to its pillar brands, including Robitussin Children’s Naturals Cough Relief + Immune Health Gummy, Sensodyne Pronamel Mineral Boost toothpaste, Preparation H Soothing Relief Cooling Spray and Tum’s Naturals. 

HempFusion
In its five years in business, HempFusion has grown to have a leading position in the CBD category, both via its eponymous-brand products and, more recently, a series of acquisitions that grew its already robust retailer distribution network. 

The flagship products under the HempFusion brand include an array of capsules that target various need states, as well as an assortment of CBD oil tinctures that range in strength from 300 mg to 1,500 mg per 30-ml bottle. It also offers a line of topical products that target such needs as aging, eczema and acne. 

This summer has been particularly busy for the company. In June, it inked a deal with a grocer to create a 10-SKU private brand line of products — a deal that also launched HempFusion’s private-label business. The deal followed the late May news that it spent $40 million to acquire two brands — Apothecanna and Sagely Naturals, which grew its footprint in the United States and Canada while adding to its list of retail partners.

Besides the CBD brands, HempFusion also operates Probulin, a line of probiotic products that focus on gut health, as well as a skin care line with products that feature probiotic extracts. 

i-Health
As the maker of the Culturelle probiotics brand, i-Health has long been focused on improving the gut health of consumers, as well as the link between gut and immune health. Its latest offering, designed with IBS sufferers in mind, is the brand’s first product without probiotics. Instead, Culturelle IBS Complete Support is a medical food for the dietary management of the condition that the company said can reduce the severity of symptoms by 60% by using prebiotics. 

Sold in a box of 28 single-serve packets, the product contains HMO bioactive prebiotics, which are natural digestive nutrients that promote the growth of good gut bacteria. Free of yeast, gluten, soy, added sugar and artificial dyes, Culturelle IBS Complete Support joins the Culturelle lineup of probiotics in various delivery methods and benefits, including capsules, chewables and packets. 

Olly
Nutrition company Olly has stood out by offering needs-focused products that meet consumer demands and look good while doing it. 

Olly’s line of Ultra Softgels improve on its original softgel offering by adding a hint of strawberry and removing any sugar, packaging the products in a portable 60-count jar.

The Ultra Softgels are sold in Sleep, Goodbye Stress, Hair and Women’s Multi + Omega-3 formulations. 

Also new is the brand’s Future is Female collection, a line of products tailored toward women’s health needs. The cheeky names — Lovin’ Libido, Happy Hoo-Ha, Beat the Bloat, Cleansing Cranberry and Miss Mellow — bring a bit of fun to products with critical benefits, including sex drive and sensation, vaginal health and pH, balanced mood, and urinary tract health.

With immunity needs growing among consumers, Olly has rolled out a line of immune-support drink mixes, including Immunity + Elderberry in yuzu lemonade and blood orange flavors, and Immunity Sleep + Elderberry in a soothing lemon flavor that can be mixed in warm water. The products all contain a blend of vitamins C and D with zinc, while Immunity Sleep + Elderberry adds melatonin to support sleep. 

[Related Content: Eyes — and ears — on the horizon: Trends driving eye and ear care]

Piping Rock Health Products
Ronkonkoma, N.Y.-based Piping Rock makes the Nature’s Truth and Pink brands, with the former focusing on overall vitamins and supplements and the latter offering a women-made line of women-focused products. 

Nature’s Truth has made big inroads in the category with its gummy formulations. The brand’s gummy line includes both general and need-focused offerings, including Apple Cider Vinegar Gummies, Extra Strength Vitamin D3 Gummies and Sambucus Black Elderberry Gummies, as well as B-12 Energy + Ashwagandha Gummies, Beauty Collagen Type 1 + 3 Gummies, C + Zinc Immune Support Gummies and more. They complement its line of capsules, softgels and sports nutrition powders that span such categories as immune support, probiotics, sleep and multivitamins. 

With Pink, Piping Rock sought to create a purpose-driven wellness brand with a focus on women’s health. Created by women, the brand’s offerings include Biotin Beautiful Gummies, Teen Multi + B12 and Cranberry Gummies, Simply Collagen Beauty To Go powder stick packets, L-Theanine Calm Caps, Renew You Probiotic for Her and Vibrant Prenatal Multivitamin + DHA Gummies among others. With each sale, the brand donates a portion to women’s charities, and it was the sole matching partner of the final week of the National Breast Cancer Foundation’s October ToGetHer campaign, raising $10,000 to back early detection, education and support services. The foundation recently honored Pink its Bronze Partner Award for the company’s partnership in 2020. 

Pharmavite
Vitamin and supplement company Pharmavite will be at NACDS TSE with some new portfolio additions meant to strengthen its position in urinary health.

Best known for its Nature Made brand of vitamins, in July, the West Hills, Calif.-based company acquired Uqora, whose urinary health offerings include proactive products, medical devices and drugs for identifying and treating urinary tract infections. 

The addition of Uqora adds to the company’s urinary health offering, which already included the brand Equelle. At the time the acquisition was announced, CEO Jeff Boutelle said Pharmavite is looking to build the “most comprehensive women’s health platform” in the VMS space. 

Prasco Labs
A manufacturer of authorized generics, Prasco Labs has been building out its respiratory portfolio lately. Among its offerings is the authorized generic of Advair Diskus — a product with a $3 billion market value for the year ending April 2021, according to IQVIA data — as well as authorized generics of Nuvaring and Adderall XR. 

The company also recently partnered with Elite Pharmaceuticals as the exclusive U.S. distributor of the company’s generic of the schizophrenia treatment Loxitane (loxapine succinate capsules), which is on the FDA’s drug shortage list. 

Prasco CEO Chris Arington recently told DSN that 80% of the prescriptions filled by Prasco are manufactured in the United States, and that it has a distribution network of more than 60,000 pharmacies nationwide. 

Satisfyer
What used to be known as the family planning aisle has undergone something of a glow up in the past several years. The category, once an area of the store serving a strictly utilitarian purpose, has a growing number of retailers beginning to look at their shelf space as a potential sexual wellness destination. Long story short, that means vibrators are now available at retail, and one of the companies on the forefront of this shift has been Satisfyer. 

With a focus on sexual wellness and education, Satisfyer employs Megwyn White, a certified clinical sexologist as its director of education, and has gained mainstream media recognition for its products — all of which feature an in-house design from its German development team.

Satifyer’s goal, according to executives, is to bring high quality sexual lifestyle products to consumers at an accessible price point — a mission that has resonated with a national drug chain that carries its products. 

The company’s flagship offering is its Precious Penguin Air Pulse Stimulator. Made of body-friendly silicone, the fully waterproof product is ergonomically shaped and comes with 11 vibration patterns. It uses air-pulse technology to provide clitoral stimulation without direct contact via intense pressure waves. The product is priced at $49.95. Also on offer is the Bullet Groove, a compact stimulator with 15 vibration patterns. Fully waterproof, the Bullet Groove carries a suggested price of $14.95. 

Sky Organics
The biggest story of the past five years in beauty has been the push for so-called “clean” ingredients. Begun in the kitchen of its founders — brothers Steven and Dean Neiger — Sky Organics hit the market in 2015 with a limited selection of organic offerings, including castor oil, sweet almond oil, shea butter and cocoa butter. In the ensuing six years, the company has launched a slew of beauty products across the category, from mud masks and face scrubs to shampoo and detangling conditioner. 

Eighty-plus SKUs later, Sky Organics is introducing its Blemish Control collection, which features white willow bark as its key ingredient. These products offer a plant-based alternative to salicylic acid. The line includes a Purifying Face Wash, Clarifying Facial Toner, Spot Treatment, Deep Cleansing Pore Scrub and Bentonite Clay Detox Mask, which feature such ingredients as tea tree oil for skin clarity, as well as aloe vera, lavender water and green tea extract to support balanced skin without drying. 

Products in the collection range in price from $12.95 to $14.95.