Ointment Manufacturers for Third Party Ranges

Creams, ointments and gels form the core of most derma brands, and they are a good starting point for a new brand owner. The products are easy for MRs to carry, skin specialists prescribe them every day, and a tube on a chemist's counter keeps your brand name in plain view.

Semi-solids come with their own set of choices, though. The tube, the fill weight and the approval status of each combination all affect cost and timing. The ointment manufacturers listed above take third party orders under your brand, and the notes below will help you brief them properly.

Lami tube or aluminium tube

Aluminium collapsible tubes are the traditional pack for ointments and many creams. They protect the product well from air and light, and because they do not spring back, air is not sucked back into the tube after each use. On the downside, they dent easily and the print looks plainer.

Laminated (lami) tubes look better on the shelf, take more print colours and do not crack along fold lines. Most derma brands with a modern look use them. Some formulations do not suit every laminate, so the plant should confirm that its stability data covers the tube you pick. Tube makers usually want a larger minimum print run for lami tubes, which can push up the size of your first order.

Also decide the cap (screw cap, flip-top or nozzle), whether a printed carton is needed, and whether a leaflet goes inside.

Fill weights and batch planning

Common fill weights are 5 g, 10 g, 15 g, 20 g and 30 g. Choose pack sizes based on what doctors in your area actually write and the price a chemist expects to sell at, not on what a competitor happens to stock.

Semi-solid batches are made in kilograms. A 100 kg batch gives you roughly 6,500 tubes of 15 g once filling losses are counted. If you want two or three pack sizes of the same product, ask whether one batch can be split across sizes. That keeps the quantity per size reasonable while still meeting the plant's minimum.

New combinations need approval

Derma is full of fixed dose combinations, and a product cannot be made simply because another brand sells it. The plant must hold product permission for the exact composition and strength. A combination that is new to India needs DCGI approval before any state permission, and some combinations have been banned outright. Good ointment manufacturers will tell you plainly when a product cannot be made, rather than taking your advance and delaying.

Ask for the permission copy for each product before your artwork is finalised. Check your brand name too: run a trademark search and avoid names that look or sound close to an established skin brand. Pharmacists mix up similar names, and the owner of the older mark can object.

Building a derma range step by step

A first range of eight to fifteen products is easier to promote and fund than a list of forty. Pick the products your doctors already prescribe, then add as your MRs bring feedback.

• Antifungal creams, and dusting powders (which may come from a different plant)
• Antibacterial ointments and combination creams
• Moisturisers and barrier creams, some of which fall under cosmetics rules
• Acne gels, plus face washes, which are cosmetics made under a COS-8 licence
• Sunscreens, usually sold as cosmetics

Keep the drug products and the cosmetic products clearly apart on labels and in your promotional material. A cosmetic cannot carry drug claims, and mixing the two invites trouble during an inspection.

Send your requirement

Fill the form on this page with your product list: composition and strength, whether it is a cream, ointment or gel, fill weight, lami or aluminium tube, carton, quantity per batch in tubes, and the date you need stock. Posting is free and your number is not shown publicly. The requirement reaches only ointment manufacturers that make semi-solids, and they call back with rates and tell you which products need extra approval.

Related pages: Pharma Ointment Manufacturer and Derma Products Manufacturers. Molecules most listed here: Clobetasol, Mometasone, Beclomethasone.