Taisho Launches Ihmen: First Pharmaceutical Aerosol Insect Repellent in Japan

February 5, 2001

Taisho Launches Ihmen:
First Pharmaceutical Aerosol Insect Repellent in Japan

Taisho Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. (President: Akira Uehara) will begin sales on February 9 of Japan's first pharmaceutical aerosol insect repellent, called Ihmen insect repellent spray. The spray is available in 100 ml cans for 880 yen.

Each can contains 6 g of the active ingredient DEET, qualifying it as a pharmaceutical. Ihmen outperforms existing products, lasting up to 10 hours, and is effective in preventing bites from a variety of insects, including chiggers. This is welcome news during the current outdoor activities boom. The spray goes on as a powder, but isn't sticky and withstands perspiration.

A Taisho marketing survey indicated that about 80 percent of respondents were interested in purchasing an insect repellent that didn't wear off quickly and was effective on a wide variety of bugs. Taisho thus developed Ihmen insect repellent spray to satisfy this demand.

Taisho already sells an insect repellent that is classified as a quasi-drug, which comes in a spray and a pump type. The new pharmaceutical product expands this lineup.

Product Features

1)	First pharmaceutical aerosol insect repellent available in Japan.
2)	Effectively repels insects for up to 10 hours.
3)	Goes on dry.
4)	Withstands perspiration.
5)	Prevents bites from a variety of insects, including chiggers.

Product Overview

Product name	Ihmen insect repellent spray
Retail price	100 ml for 880 yen (excluding tax)
Active ingredient	DEET, 6 g in 100ml
Effective against	mosquitoes, horseflies, gnats, house mites, fleas, stinging flies, bedbugs and chiggers
Date of release	February 9, 2001
Expected sales	300 million yen in the first year (shipment basis)