BASEL, Switzerland — Novartis has launched Prevacid 24HR, which the pharmaceutical giant bills as the first and only over-the-counter proton pump inhibitor (PPI) for the treatment of frequent heartburn in its original formulation.

Starting Thursday, Prevacid 24HR is slated to be available in more than 100,000 pharmacies, drug stores, supermarkets, mass merchandisers and other retail locations across the United States, the company said.

Prevacid 24HR (lansoprazole delayed-release capsules 15 mg/acid reducer) received U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval in May.

As part of the product launch, Novartis Consumer Health is partnering with Dr. Brian Fennerty, practicing gastroenterologist and professor of Medicine in the Division of Gastroenterology at Oregon Health & Science University in Portland, Ore., and MSN.com lifestyle expert Kelley Moore to educate the public about frequent heartburn.

Through the Heartburn Action Plan, they will share treatment options and lifestyle tips to help frequent heartburn sufferers treat their symptoms. Consumers can find out more information at www.HeartburnActionPlan.com.

More than 50 million American adults suffer from frequent heartburn, defined as heartburn occurring two or more days per week, according to Novartis.

The company said Prevacid 24HR is clinically proven to work both day and night and is the only PPI approved for O-T-C treatment of frequent heartburn that contains the active ingredient lansoprazole.

Taken in a dose of one pill daily, Prevacid 24HR starts working early to treat frequent heartburn and maintains its effectiveness for the full 14-day course of treatment. In two clinical trials, 88% of people who used the antacid medication for frequent heartburn were satisfied, Novartis said.

"The launch of Prevacid 24HR for the treatment of frequent heartburn is a milestone in the over-the-counter medicine category, expanding the treatment choices for the millions of adults who suffer from frequent heartburn," commented Dirk Van de Put, global head of the O-T-C business unit for Novartis Consumer Health. "We’re looking forward to providing frequent heartburn sufferers with broad access to this very effective treatment and expect the launch to drive strong incremental growth for the O-T-C digestive health category.”