Leiner has obtained the exclusive right to sell MonoSol Rx's film technology in store-brand OTC strips, and is also using it for its own ShortCuts supplements strips.
The oral strips, the size of a postage stamp, contain no alcohol or acetone and are designed to dissolve on the tongue. They are intended for use by children and adults who have difficulty swallowing tablets, and may also prove convenient for consumers on-the-go, since they provide an exact dose and do not need to be taken with water.
The first product under the ShortCuts label, a melatonin strip to aid sleep, will be ready to ship to retailers in the fall. Leiner said that product formulations for other nutritional supplement categories are under developments.
"MonoSol Rx's film technology opens the door to a new generation of delivery forms for drugs and supplements, which consumers can readily take advantage of at the shelf level," said P. Scott Bening, president and CEO of MonoSol Rx. "Partnering with a leading company like Leiner… allowed us to speed delivery of this unique technology to the mass market."
However Leiner is not the first company in the supplement sector to opt for the film format. Last October New Jersey-based Momentus Solutions claimed to be the first company to sell a complete line of children's vitamin strips nationwide, with its 32-variety Healthy Moments line.
Thin film products are a relatively new product category but one which has seen considerable growth over the past three years, especially in breath fresheners. According to ProductScan Online, there has been a five-fold increase worldwide in the number of thin film strip products sold in the packaged goods market since 2002.