Greater awareness of markets and exposure to public scrutiny has forced Wellcome to adopt a new strategic approach Friday the 13th is, for the superstitious, a day of bad omens and ill-fortune. But bad luck came a day early for Wellcome (London). On Thursday January 12, 1995, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA, Rockville, MD) refused the company an over-the-counter (OTC) license for its best selling antiherpetic drug, Zovirax. The FDA was concerned that OTC usage might dangerously increase resistance to the drug among herpes sufferers. Zovirax is, thus, a victim of its own effectiveness and uniqueness: FDA is saying, in effect, that it cannot risk the emergence of resistance to one of the few effective antivirals around.
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