Taisho describes Counterpain as an “Asian icon for generations” and states that the brand was launched in 1972.

Early development

Counterpain has a particularly long history in Southeast Asian consumer healthcare. Although the brand is now associated with Taisho, it was formerly part of Bristol-Myers Squibb’s Asian OTC portfolio.

In Indonesia, Counterpain was already being manufactured and marketed by the local Squibb organization decades before Taisho acquired the business. Historical material from the University of Indonesia records Counterpain among the products manufactured by PT Squibb Indonesia, which was established in 1970.

Taisho’s own corporate history identifies 1972 as the Counterpain launch year.

Bristol-Myers Squibb era

During the late 20th century and early 2000s, Counterpain became one of Bristol-Myers Squibb’s important OTC brands in Southeast Asia.

By the 2000s, Counterpain was established in markets including Indonesia and Thailand. A 2009 announcement from Bristol-Myers Squibb described Counterpain as one of the OTC brands whose Asian trademarks, registrations, and related assets were being sold to Taisho.

Acquisition by Taisho

A major turning point came in 2009, when Taisho Pharmaceutical acquired selected Bristol-Myers Squibb OTC assets in Asia-Pacific.

The transaction included the rights to Counterpain, along with brands such as Tempra, Theragran-M, Engran, Ceetrus, and Keri. Taisho also acquired Bristol-Myers Squibb’s Indonesian subsidiary, PT Bristol-Myers Squibb Indonesia Tbk, which was subsequently renamed PT Taisho Pharmaceutical Indonesia Tbk. 1

Thus, Counterpain’s modern ownership can be summarized as:

Squibb → Bristol-Myers Squibb → Taisho Pharmaceutical

The important distinction is that Taisho did not originate the brand in Indonesia; it acquired Counterpain’s Asian brand rights and related business from Bristol-Myers Squibb in 2009.

Counterpain is not necessarily one identical formulation worldwide. Its composition and available products differ according to country and local regulatory approval.

Counterpain cream

The classic Counterpain cream is a warming topical analgesic. For example, Taisho’s Thailand product information lists the active ingredients as:

• Methyl salicylate 10.2%

• Eugenol 1.36%

• Levomenthol 5.44%

It is marketed there as a cream applied and massaged onto areas experiencing muscle pain.

These ingredients contribute to Counterpain’s characteristic warming/cooling sensory effect while providing topical symptomatic relief.

Counterpain Cool

Counterpain Cool is a cooling formulation rather than the traditional warming cream. Taisho Thailand lists levomenthol 4% as its active ingredient and describes it for muscular pain associated with sprains, bruising, impacts, and exercise-related injuries. 2

The basic product concept is therefore:

Counterpain → warming sensation
Counterpain Cool → cooling sensation

Counterpain Plus

Some markets also carry Counterpain Plus, a more specialized formulation. In Thailand, Taisho lists piroxicam together with methyl salicylate, levomenthol, and eugenol and positions it for inflammatory pain such as joint pain.

Because this formulation contains a different active pharmaceutical ingredient, it should not simply be regarded as interchangeable with ordinary Counterpain cream.

Counterpain patches

Counterpain has also expanded beyond creams and gels into medicated patches/plasters.

Taisho’s Thai product portfolio includes Counterpain Medicated Plaster Warm and Counterpain Medicated Plaster Cool. The warm patch uses glycol salicylate and L-menthol, while the cool version uses L-menthol. 3

In Indonesia, Counterpain Patch and Counterpain Patch Hot were introduced as part of the brand’s expansion into the analgesic-patch category. Taisho’s Indonesian annual-report material says the products had entered their second year in the Indonesian market by 2016.

Counterpain belongs to the broad category of topical analgesics. Instead of delivering an analgesic throughout the body by swallowing a tablet, topical products are applied to the skin over the area of discomfort.

Traditional Counterpain formulations use ingredients such as methyl salicylate, menthol/levomenthol, and eugenol. These ingredients produce characteristic sensations—particularly warmth or coolness—which can help modify the user’s perception of localized pain.

For example:

• Menthol/levomenthol produces a cooling sensation.

• Methyl salicylate is a salicylate used in topical pain-relief preparations.

• Eugenol contributes to the formulation’s analgesic properties and characteristic smell.

The precise pharmacological effect depends on the particular Counterpain formulation, so the product label should be used to determine the active ingredients and approved indications for a particular country.

Indonesia is arguably the market most strongly associated with Counterpain.

Taisho Pharmaceutical Indonesia describes Counterpain as one of the company’s backbone OTC brands. Its 2023 annual report states that Counterpain and Tempra had served the Indonesian market for more than 50 years. 4

This makes Counterpain an unusually longstanding consumer-health brand in Indonesia.

Its positioning has historically centered on people experiencing everyday muscle pain, including discomfort associated with:

• physical work,

• exercise,

• sports,

• travel,

• strains and sprains,

• general muscular fatigue, and

• other minor aches.

The brand therefore occupies a space between traditional self-care practices and modern OTC pharmaceutical products.

One of Counterpain’s most recognizable Indonesian marketing concepts is:

“No Pain No Gain”

Taisho Pharmaceutical Indonesia introduced this campaign in 2016, specifically targeting younger consumers. The campaign was designed to connect Counterpain with ideas of hard work, physical activity, self-improvement, and pursuing personal goals. It used television, digital media, social media, and on-ground activities. 5

This was an important shift in the brand’s communication.

Rather than presenting Counterpain simply as a medicine for older consumers with aches and pains, the brand increasingly associated itself with an active lifestyle:

exercise → muscle pain → Counterpain → get back to activity

That positioning helped Counterpain remain relevant to younger consumers while retaining its long-established reputation.

Counterpain has achieved substantial brand recognition in Indonesia.

According to Taisho Pharmaceutical Indonesia, Counterpain received the Top Brand Award in the muscle-cream category every year from 2015 through 2022, giving it eight consecutive awards. The award’s research considered parameters including top-of-mind awareness, market share, and consumer commitment.

The 2022 survey involved more than 12,000 respondents across 15 major Indonesian cities, including Jakarta, Bandung, Surabaya, Medan, Makassar, Balikpapan, Denpasar, and Banjarmasin.

Consequently, Counterpain is more than simply a pharmaceutical product in Indonesia: it has become a highly recognizable consumer brand within the topical pain-relief category.

Counterpain’s marketing has evolved considerably over time.

The 2016 “No Pain No Gain” campaign attempted to associate the brand with younger, ambitious, physically active consumers.

In 2022, Taisho Pharmaceutical Indonesia appointed Indonesian celebrities Raffi Ahmad and Nagita Slavina as brand ambassadors for Counterpain and Tempra. Taisho explicitly connected their public image of hard work, perseverance, entrepreneurship, and healthy living with Counterpain’s “No Pain No Gain” positioning.

This illustrates the broader evolution of the brand:

traditional pain-relief medicine → active lifestyle brand

Although Counterpain is particularly prominent in Indonesia, it is not an exclusively Indonesian brand.

Taisho identifies Counterpain as one of its international products and describes it as a topical anti-inflammatory analgesic sold across its Asian business.

The brand is found in several Southeast Asian markets, with formulations adapted to local regulatory requirements.

For example, Taisho Pharmaceutical Thailand’s portfolio includes:

• Counterpain

• Counterpain Cool

• Counterpain Plus

• Counterpain Medicated Plaster Warm

• Counterpain Medicated Plaster Cool

• other market-specific formulations. 6

The formulations therefore shouldn’t be assumed to be identical from one country to another.

Today, Counterpain is associated with Taisho Pharmaceutical, whose headquarters are in Japan.

In Indonesia, the relevant company is PT Taisho Pharmaceutical Indonesia Tbk. The company is responsible for Taisho’s Indonesian pharmaceutical operations and has historically identified Counterpain as one of its principal OTC brands. 7

Taisho’s acquisition of the Bristol-Myers Squibb Asian OTC business in 2009 was strategically important because it gave Taisho established consumer-health brands and an existing Southeast Asian distribution and manufacturing platform.

Counterpain consequently became one of the brands helping Taisho establish its long-term OTC presence in Southeast Asia.

Counterpain’s significance comes from several factors.

1. Longevity

The brand dates to 1972, giving it more than five decades of history.

2. Strong Southeast Asian identity

Unlike many global pharmaceutical brands that are primarily associated with North America or Europe, Counterpain has developed a particularly strong identity in Asian consumer healthcare. Taisho itself calls it an “Asian icon.”

3. Indonesian brand equity

In Indonesia, the brand has been present for more than 50 years and has become one of Taisho Pharmaceutical Indonesia’s principal OTC brands. 8

4. Product-line expansion

Counterpain evolved from its traditional topical cream into cooling gels and medicated patches, allowing it to compete across different forms of topical pain relief.

5. Cultural familiarity

Its long presence in Indonesia means that the name “Counterpain” is often used almost as a category shorthand for topical muscle-pain relief, although technically Counterpain is a specific trademarked brand rather than the generic name for all topical analgesics.

Counterpain products are medicines, not simply ordinary cosmetic balms. The appropriate use therefore depends on the specific formulation.

Topical analgesics should generally be used according to the label and local regulatory instructions. Users should pay particular attention to warnings concerning damaged or irritated skin, contact with eyes or mucous membranes, frequency of application, and the duration of use.

Different Counterpain products can contain substantially different active ingredients. For example, ordinary warming Counterpain and Counterpain Plus are pharmacologically different products.

Therefore, “Counterpain” should not be treated as one universal formula.

1. Counterpain – TAISHO PHARMACEUTICAL (THAILAND) CO., LTD.
2. Taisho Indonesia
3. Counterpain: Kandungan, Manfaat & Efek Samping
4. Manfaat dan Variasi Counterpain untuk Redakan Nyeri Lutut » Klinik Nyeri Lutut Terlengkap di Jakarta
5. เคาน์เตอร์เพน – TAISHO PHARMACEUTICAL (THAILAND) CO., LTD.
6. Counterpain Analgesic Balm
7. consumer-products Catergory Page
8. FDA Verification Portal