Chinese brands gain as Contac pulled from shelf

<p>Chinese pharmaceutical brands have made strong gains in China, </p><p>where a ban on an ingredient has hit Western brands, including the </p><p>country's top-selling cold medication, Contac, a Smith Kline Beecham </p><p>Tianjin (SKBT) product. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>SKBT was forced to pull Contac off the OTC shelf because it contained </p><p>the banned PPA ingredient. But MEDIA understands that SKBT is working on </p><p>relaunching the brand as an OTC product minus PPA, as it wants to </p><p>maintain Contac's brand equity as the only cold medication to offer </p><p>12-hour symptom relief. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>"There is no clear leadership in the cold market. Although Tylenol and </p><p>Bufferin have made some headway, Chinese brands like 999 and Kang Bi De </p><p>have gained a larger share because the PPA issue has made locals </p><p>suspicious of Western brands," said a source. </p><p><BR><BR> </p>