Where did all the Burnol go?

Walk into any pharmacy in Pakistan and ask for Burnol. The pharmacist will definitely recognise the drug but will very quickly tell you that the quick-acting, iconic, yellow antiseptic cream that has been a mainstay in kitchen cabinets and medicine boxes for decades has not been on the market for a couple of years. 

While Abbott Laboratories, the manufacturers of and owners of the ‘Burnol’ name in Pakistan, have not commented on the famed burn remedy being discontinued, the word from sources in the pharmaceutical industry is that the cream is not being manufactured for the past couple of years after Abbott tried and failed to relaunch the cream in back in 2016. 

This is in stark contrast to India - where the cream has not just been a mainstay but its ownership has switched hands at heavy prices over the decades and continues to be a sought after product. The name Burnol both in India and Pakistan has become synonymous with any remedy cream that gives quick relief from burns or cuts.