Lion to Sell Painkiller Bufferin in South Korea

Tokyo, Jan. 12 (Jiji Press)--Lion Corp. <4912> said Tuesday it will start sales of its painkiller Bufferin in South Korea next Monday, the first launch of its Bufferin-brand drugs overseas.

Lion will release two products, the Bufferin Plus and Bufferin
Lady, known as Bufferin Luna in Japan, through CJ CheilJedang Corp., a major
South Korean food and drug company.
The Japanese detergent and toiletries maker expects the South
Korean market for over-the-counter drugs to expand. While sales of such
drugs in the country are limited to pharmacies, deregulation is expected to
allow their sales in supermarkets and other places, the company said.
Lion bought the trademark rights for the Bufferin brand in Japan
and other Asian and Oceanian markets, excluding China and some others, from
Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. of the United States in June 2007.
Bufferin products boast annual sales of at least 10 billion yen in
Japan, ranking first in its market for OTC painkillers.