Chain Drug Review, February 12, 2018

Chain Drug Review February 12 2018 41 CATEGORY INSIGHTS PAIN MANAGEMENT Weekend warriors are refusing to give in to pain NEW YORK The demand for analgesics remains steady as consumers look to treat ailments such as headaches minor aches and pains and fever The occurrence of these conditions is determined by many factors including the prevalence of such chronic conditions as arthritis cancer obesity and heart disease In the U S healthy and active lifestyles are also gaining popularity Aches and pains that often accompany physical activity are also helping to drive demand Katie McNichol principal in Client Insights at IRI says the category is largely being driven by the non aspirin segment with sales of 24 billion annually in MULO Food Drug Mass Sams BJs Non aspirin has had growth the last few years at a rate of about 1 to 2 so its rather flat More recently in December and January growth accelerated to 4 perhaps due to the strong cold and flu season we are in the midst of She points out that the main news in the segment the last several years is the growth of Tylenol as it continues to return to market after its recall in 2009 Tylenol growth in 2015 stemmed from the relaunch of Tylenol Arthritis and more recently in 2016 the 8 hour and Rapid Release Gels formulations In 2016 2017 no other brands experienced such growth in fact most were flat to down Excedrin was the only exception Other internal pain segments such as PM pain relief and aspirin pain were down last year down 3 and 4 respectively McNichol adds that the PM pain category is down as sleep supplements such as melatonin are booming Outside the pill market externals continue to grow Although only a third of the size of non aspirin but gaining share this segment has consistent growth to the tune of up 13 in 2016 and 2017 she concludes In the pain management segment we are seeing an increase in overall usage driven by an aging population that suffers from pain more frequently and severely Moving forward we also expect to see consumers increasingly turn to over the counter solutions for pain management as health care costs rise exponentially states Prestige Brands vice president of marketing Joseph Juliano He says that recent innovation in the O T C category has been focused on new speed forms that deliver better on the overarching consumer need for fast relief We believe our new BC Sinus Pain Congestion product delivers on this consumer need as the first powdered analgesic available to treat sinus pain It provides consumers with an effective way to relieve their symptoms in a fast acting convenient powder form Juliano adds that social media is providing the company the opportunity to have a one on one relationship with its consumers and address their needs in real time Additionally we are using their feedback to improve both our new product pipeline and our marketing campaigns Meanwhile Pfizer Consumer Healthcares deep understanding of what consumers need and want combined with the rigorous science that is the foundation of the companys research and development program has helped it develop innovative health care solutions The suppliers Advil Liqui Gels minis for example have the power of Advil in a 33 smaller capsule Advil Liqui Gels contain the same amount of pain reliever as original Advil 200 mg but are made with solubilized ibuprofen a liquid form of the pain reliever in Advil The liquid form allows the product to be absorbed into the body quickly for fast pain relief Consumers get fast powerful pain relief for their tough pains in an easier to swallow size states the company For over 50 years Vanquish from Strides Pharma has been recommended for anyone who experiences frequent recurring headaches The company states that its extra strength formula works fast and provides longlasting headache relief fighting tough headaches with two powerful pain relievers acetaminophen and aspirin plus a small dose of caffeine to increase the speed of their effect The product is said to be easy on the stomach and it doesnt leave users feeling jittery The company also offers Nuprin in its pain relief lineup New in the area of migraine relief comes MigraineX from Cirrus Healthcare the maker of EarPlanes MigraineX is a natural drug free reusable earplug device designed to help reduce weather related migraine pain and symptoms due to barometric pressure changes As weather is one of the top four migraine triggers MigraineX allows air to flow through its filters to help with changes in barometric pressure changes The earplugs are the first O T C companion product that works together with an app that notifies users that they need to utilize their earplugs due to a change in barometric pressure MigraineX was created to be used along with typical migraine medications and additional remedies as part of the complete migraine eliminating tool kit The product is available from Amazon com and the app is available for free in the Apple and Android App stores Excedrin teams with Danica Patrick on migraines at work WARREN N J Excedrin recently released national survey findings on the impact migraines have on the workforce Workplace migraines are more prevalent than many other illnesses including heart disease diabetes and arthritis yet the findings show a lack of understanding The majority of employees who experience migraines at work 81 elect to suffer in silence downplaying the severity of their pain or choosing to just power through With so many people hiding their condition Excedrin is shining a light on the impact of migraines at work by enlisting the help of real life migraine sufferers with the Excedrin Works campaign These workplace migraine experiences are brought to life through 360 degree virtual reality videos Excedrin Works is designed to highlight the negative impact migraines have in the workplace and empower sufferers to speak up about their condition and educate those around them Excedrin has teamed up with race car driver Danica Patrick to share her personal experience with migraines help spread awareness and discuss the impact that the condition can have at work As a migraine sufferer I know how tough it can be just to try to function while experiencing one let alone attempt to work As a race car driver my team and I depend on each other every day at the track and theres no such thing as a sick day said Patrick Struggling with migraine symptoms is tough but worrying about letting your team down isnt easy either Thats why its so important for those who dont suffer to understand the impact of a migraine Sufferers may choose to hide the impact of a migraine at work since 41 report that their coworkers sometimes dont take their migraines seriously and more than a third 35 say coworkers believe they are faking their migraine Plus 42 of migraine sufferers have had to debunk migraine myths such as using the condition as an excuse for a hangover Thats why Excedrin is continuing its mission of providing relief and empathy for the more than 38 million migraine sufferers in the United States this time by breaking down migraine barriers in the workplace Nearly seven out of 10 68 migraine sufferers feel that their coworkers dont truly understand what they go through since they have never experienced a migraine themselves making sufferers feel isolated and stigmatized said Scott Yacovino senior brand manager for the U S pain category at GSK Consumer Healthcare Migraines dont take a day off and thats why we created Excedrin Works to ignite conversations about migraines in the workplace and to help bridge the gap between sufferers and nonsufferers alike There are no off hours for boomers aches BALTIMORE As the population gets older more Americans are suffering from aches and pains which is welcome news for the topical analgesic market Lou Donadio head of sales at Vizuri Consumer Healthcare says the topical analgesics market continues to grow driven by the growth of the baby boomer population which is realizing an increased need for these products This is due in part to both increased trends toward a healthier lifestyle and an increased incidence of chronic conditions such as cardiovascular disease and obesity that can lead to osteoarthritis Osteoarthritis sufferers are looking for safe 24 hour long lasting relief to manage their joint pain An aging population of baby boomers creates a demand for longlasting solutions for chronic joint pain Donadio explains that the category continues its growth driven by innovation with manufacturers providing products that offer a combination of increased efficacy convenience and ease of use The drug channel is the largest channel in terms of retail sales of topical analgesics representing 45 of category sales This trend is expected to continue as target consumers in this category tend to have a positive attitude towards pharmacists and often consult with them for advice He says that consumers continue to seek out products that provide safe long lasting pain relief Many consumers in this category worry about taking too many oral medications due to the potential side effects associated with their routine usage as well as interactions among various ingestible medications Many topical analgesic consumers prefer these products due to their safety convenience and ease of use He points out that topical pain relievers on the market provide four to six hours of short term relief and oral analgesics can last up to 12 hours PainBloc24 can help provide relief from chronic joint pain for 24 hours when used daily as directed In a clinical study 60 of patients reported a reduction in arthritic knee pain for 24 hours following one to two applications of Pain Bloc24 every day PainBloc24 contains patentpending NeuroMax technology to deliver the maximum allowable over the counter dose of its pain blocking medicine capsaicin to turn off certain nerve fibers that send pain signals from joints to the brain Donadio adds that the product will soon be sold in major retailers nationwide