Nurofen is a consumer healthcare brand of pain-relief medicines primarily based on ibuprofen, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID). The brand originated in the United Kingdom and is now owned by Reckitt, the multinational consumer-health and hygiene company. Nurofen products are sold in numerous markets and are designed primarily for short-term relief of common pain, inflammation and fever. 1

In Singapore, the National Drug Formulary lists Nurofen Tablet 200 mg with ibuprofen as its active ingredient and Reckitt Benckiser Healthcare International Limited as the manufacturer.

Discovery of ibuprofen

The story of Nurofen begins with ibuprofen, rather than with the Nurofen brand itself.

During the 1950s and 1960s, researchers at the Boots pharmaceutical research division in the UK were looking for a painkiller that could provide an alternative to aspirin. The research team was led by Dr Stewart Adams, working with colleagues including John Nicholson and Colin Burrows. After investigating hundreds of chemical compounds, the team identified ibuprofen as a promising compound.

A patent was subsequently filed, and ibuprofen was initially developed as a prescription medicine for inflammatory conditions.

Prescription medicine

Ibuprofen was introduced in the UK in 1969 as a prescription anti-rheumatic medicine under the brand Brufen. It subsequently became established as a treatment for inflammatory conditions and various forms of pain.

Birth of Nurofen

A major milestone came on 8 August 1983, when ibuprofen became available without a prescription in the UK under the brand name Nurofen. This transformed ibuprofen from primarily a prescription treatment into a widely accessible consumer pain-relief medicine.

Nurofen subsequently expanded into different formulations, strengths and products aimed at particular types of pain and consumer groups.

Children’s products

Nurofen later expanded beyond adult pain relief. According to Nurofen’s Singapore history, the brand introduced Nurofen for Children in 1998, providing an ibuprofen formulation intended for children. 3

Acquisition by Reckitt

Nurofen remained associated with Boots until the acquisition of Boots Healthcare International by Reckitt Benckiser. The transaction was announced in 2005 and completed in 2006. The acquisition brought Nurofen, along with brands such as Strepsils, into the Reckitt portfolio.

Today, Nurofen is one of Reckitt’s major Powerbrands within its self-care business.

The core active ingredient in most Nurofen products is ibuprofen.

Ibuprofen belongs to the NSAID (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug) class. It works principally by reducing the body’s production of prostaglandins, substances involved in pain, inflammation and fever.

This gives ibuprofen three important pharmacological effects:

• Analgesic — reduces pain.
• Antipyretic — reduces fever.
• Anti-inflammatory — reduces inflammation.

This combination distinguishes ibuprofen from some simple analgesics that primarily provide pain and fever relief without significant anti-inflammatory activity.

In simplified terms, the mechanism operates as follows:

Ibuprofen → reduced prostaglandin production → reduced pain, inflammation and fever

This is why Nurofen can be useful for several seemingly different conditions, from headaches and menstrual pain to muscular pain and fever.

Depending on the specific formulation and country, Nurofen/ibuprofen products can be used for temporary relief of conditions such as:

• Headache
• Migraine
• Dental pain
• Back pain
• Muscle and joint pain
• Period pain
• Minor aches and pains
• Fever
• Some cold- and flu-associated pain or fever
• Inflammatory pain

The exact indications, age limits, strengths and approved uses vary between countries and individual Nurofen products. Singapore’s official product information, for example, lists headache, migraine pain, backache, period pain, dental pain, rheumatic pain, muscular pain and fever associated with cold and flu.

Nurofen is not a single medicine but a brand family containing multiple formulations.

In Singapore, the current Nurofen range includes:

Nurofen Coated Tablets 200 mg

The conventional tablet contains 200 mg ibuprofen and is intended for pain and fever relief. The Singapore product information states that it is for short-term oral use.

Nurofen Express

Nurofen Express uses ibuprofen lysine, a salt formulation of ibuprofen.

The Singapore range includes formulations equivalent to 200 mg and 400 mg of ibuprofen. Nurofen describes the lysine formulation as being absorbed faster than conventional ibuprofen.

Nurofen for Children

Nurofen also has pediatric formulations. In Singapore, for example, Nurofen Children is available as a 100 mg/5 mL oral suspension.

Combination products

Some markets also offer Nurofen-branded or associated combination products. For example, Singapore’s range includes Nuromol, which combines ibuprofen with paracetamol for certain pain situations where stronger analgesia may be appropriate.

Importantly, the Nurofen range differs by country. A product sold under the Nurofen name in one market may not be available, or may have a different formulation, in another.

Nurofen has a particularly established regulatory history in Singapore.

According to the brand’s Singapore website, Nurofen obtained over-the-counter status in Singapore in 2016. 4

The Singapore National Drug Formulary currently lists:

NUROFEN TABLET 200MG (OTC)

Its active ingredient is ibuprofen 200 mg, and its forensic classification is General Sale List. The listing was updated on 28 July 2026. 2

Nurofen is a medicine, so its use depends on the particular product, strength, age of the patient and local labeling.

For the Singapore 200 mg coated tablet, the official product information states that adults and children over 12 years may take 1–2 tablets up to three times daily as required, with at least four hours between doses and a maximum of six tablets in 24 hours.

However, this should not be generalized to every Nurofen product. Different formulations have different instructions.

Ibuprofen may not be appropriate for people with certain conditions, including some histories of stomach ulcer or gastrointestinal bleeding, severe kidney/liver/heart problems, or allergy to ibuprofen, aspirin or other NSAIDs. The Singapore labeling also specifically warns against use in certain circumstances involving suspected dengue fever.

As with other medicines, users should follow the package labeling and seek professional medical advice when appropriate.

Nurofen’s central brand proposition is essentially targeted, effective pain relief that allows people to continue their everyday activities.

Reckitt describes Nurofen as a pain-relief brand with more than three decades of innovation and says the brand is available in 40 countries. Reckitt also describes Nurofen as a leading analgesic brand in Europe and Australia. 4

The brand therefore sits at the intersection of:

• Pharmaceutical science — ibuprofen and NSAID technology
• Consumer healthcare — OTC/self-care products
• Pain specialization — positioning around different types of everyday pain
• Product innovation — tablets, lysine formulations, children’s products and combination products
• Global branding — a common Nurofen identity adapted to different national markets

Relationship with Reckitt

Nurofen is part of Reckitt’s consumer-health portfolio, alongside brands such as Gaviscon, Strepsils and Mucinex.

Reckitt classifies Nurofen within its Self Care business. The company’s portfolio describes Nurofen and its other self-care brands as OTC treatments that help consumers manage health conditions at home.

Reckitt is therefore the parent company behind the modern Nurofen brand.

Global significance

Nurofen has become one of the better-known ibuprofen brands internationally. It is particularly prominent in the UK, Europe, Australia and other markets where the brand is marketed.

Reckitt currently states that Nurofen has access in 40 countries and identifies it as a major analgesic brand.

The important distinction is that Nurofen is a brand, not the generic name of a drug. The underlying medicine is principally ibuprofen. Other companies sell ibuprofen under different names, while Nurofen provides a branded range of ibuprofen-based products.

• 1950s: Boots researchers begin investigating alternatives to aspirin.
• 1958: A promising compound is identified during the research program that led to ibuprofen.
• 1961: Patent work for ibuprofen is filed.
• 1969: Ibuprofen becomes available in the UK as a prescription medicine.
• 1983: Nurofen launches in the UK as an OTC ibuprofen brand.
• 1998: Nurofen for Children is introduced.
• 2005–2006: Reckitt Benckiser acquires Boots Healthcare International, bringing Nurofen into its portfolio.
• 2016: Nurofen obtains OTC status in Singapore.
• 2026: Nurofen remains a major Reckitt self-care brand, with Nurofen 200 mg listed as an OTC/general-sale medicine in Singapore.

1. Nurofen
2. NUROFEN TABLET 200MG (OTC) [SIN09488P
3. About Nurofen & Ibuprofen Pain Relief | Nurofen SG
4. Nurofen Singapore