Heartburn Drug to Get Big Rollout Today

Procter & Gamble Co. has set up a 24-hour command center and plans to send out a fleet of 1,200 delivery trucks nationwide for its rollout today of over-the-counter Prilosec, the heartburn medication.

The company is hoping Prilosec OTC achieves first-year sales of as much as $400 million for what has been a blockbuster seller for its manufacturer, AstraZeneca, as a prescription drug marketed as “the purple pill.”

P&G; is marketing Prilosec OTC in purple packages and drove a purple van through 24 cities in a “Burntown Challenge” promotion. But the Prilosec OTC tablets themselves are pink -- the color of the magnesium salt used to make the tablets.

P&G; expects to spend at least $100 million during the first year in marketing Prilosec OTC.

In 2001, Prilosec was the world’s second-biggest-selling drug, with revenue of $5.7 billion. U.S. sales totaled $3.7 billion.

P&G; said Friday that it would sell its over-the-counter version for less than $1 a pill.