Editor’s Introduction: Global OTC Analgesics

Recovery in US OTC analgesics typifies the trend in the wider global market

Sales of OTC analgesics in the US continued their recovery in the year to Q1 2015, with healthy growth of +4.6%. Tylenol (McNeil / J&J) was one of the fastest-growing brands of the past year, boasting +27% growth (adult, children and PM analgesics, MAT Q1 2015) as family-themed advertising campaigns helped reinforce the brand’s return to US retail stores, after manufacturing problems at McNeil’s Fort Washington plant. Stablemate Motrin is also performing well, making real gains in the paediatric niche. Meanwhile, new launch activity, such as Aleve PM (Bayer) and Excedrin Tension Headache (GSK), further boosted systemics. Sales of topicals also thrived, as brands like Salonpas (Hisamitsu) innovated in the form of jet sprays and gel patches, while several key brands, including No.1 Icy Hot (Chattem / Sanofi), have been extended with TENS devices since they were approved for OTC use in 2013.

And the global picture for analgesics is no less rosy. Q1 2015 saw sales advance at a faster pace (+6.0%) than the overall OTC market (+5.3%) globally. Below are just a handful of trends and developments from around the world helping to bolster growth:

• In Japan competition in the loxoprofen segment of systemic analgesics is increasing, with Lion launching Excedrin LOX in early 2015 and Daiichi Sankyo retaliating soon after with Loxonin S Plus

• Brazil’s topical analgesics benefited from the introduction of Dorflex Icy Hot (Sanofi) in 2014 and increased A+P support for Balsamo Bengue (EMS)

• In India increasing demand for brands targeting specific types of pain, namely headache and body pain, has opened up the topicals category to different delivery formats such as gels and sprays, in addition to the traditional balms

• Poland has seen a rise in the popularity of speciality products for the likes of migraine and joint / back pain, which carry a premium price, while there is also a trend towards larger “value packs”

To discover more about what’s driving growth (or holding it back) in the Global OTC Analgesics market, including in-depth coverage of the 14 leading countries, take advantage of generous pre-publication discounts on our upcoming report.

For more information, download the brochure or contact Nino Hunter.

Direct Sales: The Fastest-Growing Channel

The Direct Sales channel (specifically network marketing, where sales happen either one-on-one or through a party plan) is distinguished by offering face-to-face interaction with consumers – an attractive alternative to the retail channel, standard promotional tools and online interaction. Direct Selling is huge in many markets around the world, and is one of the fastest-growing channels in several countries. The product offering ranges from cosmetics & personal care to household goods, clothing and books, but OTC accounts for a sizeable proportion of sales – over 20% share of a global market valued in excess of $100bn.

Nicholas Hall Reports Newsletter: Vitamins, Minerials and Supplements 2013 from Ian Crook

 

The Nicholas Hall Reports team, is currently investigating trends in the global VMS market, looking in detail at key countries from around the globe. Some of the trends that have caught my eye include probiotics expanding beyond the traditional antidiarrhoeal niche, with a small but growing immunostimulant segment representing potential for diversification. In emerging markets, such as Brazil, attitudes are shifting so that VMS is no longer seen simply as a way to solve specific health problems but as a route to a better quality of life via improved well-being. In mature markets, like Canada, an aging population opens new avenues for VMS launches, with supplements for menopause and osteoporosis showing strong potential.

Meanwhile, scientific studies continue to throw up promising results – such as a recent study linking calcium to longer lifespans in women and another claiming fish oils, namely DHA and EPA, can lower risk of cardiovascular death in older adults – giving marketers more fuel to make evidence-based claims.

You can find out more information on the global VMS market in our upcoming report, VMS across the Globe, which will be published at the end of October 2013.