Euro OTC Market Reports

The European consumer health care market will grow more than 150% to$42.5 billion by 2006, forecasts PROMAR International. Of this, the over-the-counter sector will account for around $21 billion, growing 35% in the period.

By 2006, it says, the OTC sector will be operating in a deregulated marketplace, and for an industry hitherto protected from the full impact of market forces, the consequences will be enormous.

- The UK OTC market is Europe's third largest, at a value of around $1.35 billion, and its growth is due in part to UK regulators' liberal and progressive attitude towards OTCs, says a Datamonitor study.