Chain Drug Review, February 4, 2019

Chain Drug Review February 4 2019 21 CATEGORY INSIGHTS O T C DIGESTIVES For probiotics category the best is yet to come NEW YORK While the probiotics category continues to show strength there is still room for significant growth say market experts The general public has yet to gain full understanding about the importance and benefits of probiotics says Tona Chavez senior brand manager at i Health Inc It is very important to engage the medical community and other trusted influencers to help deliver the message and enhance understanding At the same time Tony True executive vice president of sales at Nature Made supplier Pharmavite notes that probiotics already have a high profile with household penetration of 14 which is nearly that of calcium This demonstrates that probiotics have resonated with consumers as many are beginning to understand how digestive health impacts their overall well being Taryn Forrelli vice president of product at Olly Public Benefit Corp notes that as mainstream recognition of probiotics importance has grown so has awareness of prebiotics Consumers are beginning to understand that prebiotic fiber is an important complement to probiotics they support the growth of healthy bacteria which keep things balanced and moving in the right direction Chavez says that keys to bringing new consumers into the category are launching products with new relevant benefits that go beyond digestive and immune health and creating products that appeal to consumers taste and form preference He says i Health is obsessed with growing the category and has recently launched Culturelle Womens Healthy Balance and up4 Gummies in order to attract new consumers and help reignite the category Kimberly Vigliante senior vice president of sales and marketing at Piping Rock Health Products says the company believes that digestive health can make a big difference in everyday life Thats why it offers a wide variety of Natures Truth probiotics From Probiotic Acidophilus with 500 million active cultures to Ultimate Probiotic 10 with 25 billion active cultures our consumers are armed with the selection they need to support their intestinal health and overall well being The brand also includes complementary products to probiotic support such as Activated Charcoal Chewable Papaya Enzyme Placing these toptrending products right on shelf in the vitamin aisle and in designated digestive aid solutions has proven to drive traffic in store and provide incremental sales to our retail partners True says Nature Made Dual Action Digestive Probiotic Energy B12 Gummies performed consistently in 2018 with many consumers seeking supplements to help maintain digestive health The gummy delivery form is strongly resonating with consumers seeking a more satisfying sensory based experience with vitamins and supplements Forrelli says Olly wants its customers to be happy inside and out and a large part of that is the recognition that good health starts in your gut While the company continues to see strong growth with its probiotic gummies with 1 billion live cultures per serving its investing in prebiotics and higher potency offerings It has repositioned its Balanced Belly and Happy Tummy products to better communicate the two in one nature of the products probiotics prebiotics In terms of higher potency offerings some consumers are looking for higher numbers of probiotics which can be beneficial for acute use occasions or intensive support As a result Olly is launching an extra strength probiotic product that will deliver 6 billion live cultures per serving and include two scientifically studied strains that offer benefits for digestive and immune health Asked about the optimal way to merchandise probiotics Chavez says There is much confusion in the probiotics category and merchandising has a role in it It is important to have clear category communication and P O P to help consumers understand the differences between products Accounts should leverage large proven brands with high retention metrics to help drive the category since many brands drive a single time purchase and do not help the category To compete with big boxes for probiotic sales drug chains must tap the unique attribute they have in their pharmacists he adds Probiotics are needed to help the body have a healthy immune system and can be especially helpful when a consumers immune system is compromised which is the case with many of the consumers who are visiting the pharmacy e g antibiotics prescription holders True sees a sea of sameness in the category which contributes to consumer confusion As more people turn to retail pharmacies for health care needs and information improving the in store experience and providing more robust education will help demystify the VMS aisle Continuing to provide education around products at the point of purchase through innovative displays or kiosks for example is one way to help differentiate from the rest Asked about the segments growth potential he says the VMS category overall is highly complex and fragmented Therefore it is opportune to focus on the key product segments which represent the majority of the total category growth These include probiotics as well as vitamin C melatonin womens and mens nonsenior multivitamins turmeric prenatal multi hair skin nails magnesium and vitamin B 12 Chavez says most research suggests the categorys household penetration has the potential to reach around 50 Additionally consumers that buy probiotics are currently purchasing at an average well below three per year The category has enormous potential that can be achieved if the retailers and the leading brands work together as well as leveraging the medical profession to help deliver the right message to the right consumers Increased knowledge of benefits can send sales skyrocketing CFUs praised as unit of measure WASHINGTON The Council for Responsible Nutrition CRN has commended the Food and Drug Administration for allowing Scott Gottlieb dietary supplement companies to use colony forming units CFUs when declaring the quantity of live microbials on a Supplement Facts Label CFU is the scientifically accepted unit of measure for probiotics and labeling live microbial dietary ingredients in CFUs gives consumers the best information possible when it comes to the viable microorganisms present in the product throughout shelf life said Andrea Wong vice president of scientific and regulatory affairs at CRN We are encouraged by FDAs receptiveness to collaborate with industry to provide consumers with meaningful label information to inform their purchase decisions Wong issued a statement last year in response to the FDAs draft guidance Policy Regarding Quantitative Labeling of Dietary Supplements Containing Live Microbials The draft says the label must also list the quantitative amount by weight as is required by current regulation applicable generally to other dietary supplements in addition to an expression of CFUs and still requires listing in order of predominance by weight To that extent FDAs guidance missed the mark said Wong CRN cautions that weight does not correlate with the number of viable microorganisms in a product Therefore it is not possible to accurately declare quantity in both weight and CFUs on a consistent basis Listing the weight of probiotic contents does not provide consumers with useful information for comparing products and making buying decisions she added A dual listing of ingredient quantity in weight and CFUs as proposed by the draft guidance presents conflicting product information on the label and puts responsible industry members in an untenable position CRN has advocated for the acceptance of CFUs as the unit of measure for probiotics for several years and will continue to engage with FDA on this important issue said Wong FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb last summer acknowledged growing scientific and public interest in the role of microorganisms in the maintenance of overall health and prevention and treatment of disease He said Today more so than ever before consumers are familiar with the phrase good or helpful bacteria and the expectation that it will aid in treating or preventing various illnesses As the field advances the FDA is playing a key role in sorting through the science and the science fiction of this evolving field Gottlieb said medical issues such as bacterial infections and their treatment with antibiotics may disrupt the normal complement of microorganisms that naturally live within the body Microbiota the collection of organisms in and on our body may also affect how patients respond to certain drugs as some research has shown the possibility of manipulating the microbiota to improve cancer treatment There is also some preliminary evidence suggesting that certain microorganisms or good bacteria given proactively may help prevent some diseases Researchers for example are studying whether certain microorganisms in the form of probiotics can help prevent a serious disease in premature infants called necrotizing enterocolitis which has been associated with systemic infection and death Mineral Supplements TOTAL DOLLAR SALES 8522 mil 23 DRUG STORES 325 mil 18 LEADING BRANDS Market share Dollar sales 000 Dollar sales change Private label 268 86950 26 Natures Bounty 111 36011 49 Nature Made 75 24517 24 Prevagen 72 23266 318 Align 28 8958 18 Culturelle 26 8434 66 Schiff Mega Red 15 4914 51 Sundown Naturals 15 4772 89 Qunol 15 4702 454 Schiff Move Free 14 4400 34 Source IRI For the 12 weeks ended December 2 2018