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July 2003

Fred Miller, Pres.

Orthopedic Pharmaceuticals, Clearwater, Fla, is a 1-year-old company that markets and distributes topical, over-the-counter products for soft tissue injuries and joint pain. Rehab Management recently spoke with Fred Miller, the company’s president, about trends in the nutraceutical and pharmaceutical industries.

Q: Could you tell us a little more about your product line, and what’s new with your company?

A: We specialize in topical products, such as pharmaceuticals and ointments, for muscle, connective tissue, bone, and joint care. The products are designed to help with arthritis pain, simple backache, muscle pain, sprains, bruises, tendinitis, shoulder pain, neck pain, and foot pain. Our products are geared to physical therapists, massage therapists, podiatrists, and sports trainers, among other customers. Our customer base is very broad, and runs across many segments. One of the things we’re really excited about is our new FDA-compliant packaging for Orthogel™ advanced cold therapy pain relief gel. The FDA has new labeling specifications, which mandate that products like ours have a drug fact box describing the product in full detail.

Q: What is the biggest trend right now in your segment of the industry?

A: One of the things we’re seeing is the growing trend of people looking for buzzwords in the drugs and products they buy. They are much more educated about what goes into a product now, and they demand that the products they buy have the latest vitamins and other ingredients. Vitamin E, aloe, menthol, methyl sulfonyl methane (MSM), and camphor are good examples of ingredients that a lot of patients are seeking out. And through recent media coverage, this has come to light more, because there is much more news coverage of pharmaceuticals these days, and people are looking for as much information as they can find about a product before they use it.

Q: How about new technology? How is it affecting pharmaceuticals?

A: One of the big things technology is allowing us to do is create liquid-filled products, as opposed to the traditional tablets. We have an affiliate company, Orthopedic Nutraceuticals™, which offers oral nutraceutical products that can be used in conjunction with Orthogel. For example, our Ultra Omega capsules are liquid-filled products. The new technology, which we learned from the pharmaceutical industry, allows us to create a product that contains no binders, fillers, excipients, or plasticizers. These are generally easier on the systems of elderly people. It also allows us to create a “veggie” capsule alternative to the gel cap.

Q: What do you see happening in the future?

A: I believe the aging of the Baby Boomers will continue to create huge market opportunities for both nutraceuticals and pharmaceuticals. Obviously, arthritis keeps growing, unfortunately. And with this increase in the number of arthritis sufferers, I would imagine we will be working harder on more new products to help ease the pain of these people. Also, we will work harder on trying to create more symmetry between the nutraceutical and pharmaceutical industries.

— Ben Van Houten

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