The company secured exclusive global OTC rights to NEXIUM from British firm AstraZeneca in August 2012.
Nexium 24HR (esomeprazole 20mg) was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in March 2014, and it also received three year market exclusivity.
According to Pfizer, the launch of the drug makes the company a leading player in all four of the largest OTC categories including pain management, dietary supplements, respiratory and now, digestive.
In the US, heartburn affects over 60 million men and women at least once a month with 15 million Americans suffering from it daily.
Pfizer Consumer Healthcare president and general manager Paul Sturman said the addition of Nexium 24HR to the company’s portfolio improves its ability to help consumers better manage their health.
"Nexium 24HR creates a new option for treating frequent heartburn with the confidence of a brand that consumers and healthcare providers know and trust," Sturman said.
"The OTC availability of Nexium 24HR in the US marks the first step in our efforts to build a strong, global position in digestive health with this powerful brand."
Nexium 24HR, which has been available in the US for preorder at Nexium24HR.com since 15 April 2014, will be available nationwide at most retailer outlets.
The company said that Nexium 24HR works differently compared to other OTC medications for heartburn such as antacids and histamine blockers.
Image: Pfizer secured exclusive global rights to market the OTC Nexium 24HR from AstraZeneca. Photo: courtesy of Business Wire