GlaxoSmithKline is to launch Panadol Advance, the first launch in the Panadol paracetamol range for seven years.

Panadol Advance will be available from this month in 500mg tablets and is being marketed as a faster-acting pain relief tablet to other paracetamol products. It will replace the Panadol tablet 16 and 32-packs, in a bid to gain market share from traditional paracetamol products marketed by Anadin, among others, as well as own-label products. Smaller regular Panadol lines remain.

Panadol Advance contains optizorb, which GSK says enables it to disperse up to five times faster than a traditional 500mg tablet, which can take up to an hour to take effect.

Panadol Advance 16 tablet packs have a rsp of £1.45 and Panadol 32 packs have a rsp of £2.79 and will only be available in pharmacies. In-store activity will be followed by a broader push early next year.