Loperamide 1980s, prior to the expiration of US patent on 30 January 1990, McNeil company started to develop Imodium Advanced containing loperamide and simethicone for treating both diarrhea and gas. In March 1997, the company patented such combination. The drug was approved in June 1997 by the FDA as Imodium Multi-Symptom Relief in the form of a chewable tablet. In November 1993, loperamide was launched as an orally disintegrating tablet based on Zydis technology. Imodium Instant Melts from Johnson & Johnson is currently the only loperamide available in the form of orally disintegrating tablets. In 2013, loperamide in the form of
Loperamide 2-mg tablets was added to WHO Model List of Essential Medicines. It is sold as a generic medication and is not very expensive. The wholesale cost in the developing world is about US$0.004 to 0.040 a dose. In August 2016, the US retail cost is about US$0.31 per dose. In 2016, Imodium was one of the biggest-selling branded over-the-counter medications sold in Great Britain, with sales of £32.7 million. Loperamide was originally marketed as Imodium, and many generic brands are sold. Loperamide has typically been deemed to have a relatively low risk of misuse. In 2012, no reports of loperamide