European Consumers And GI Disorders

Almost a third of Europeans suffer from gastrointestinal problems, yet fewer than half of them will consult a doctor, says Gastro-Intestinal Products in the European Self-Medical Market to 2006, a new 14-country study from James Dudley Management.

The European market for non-prescription bound GI products is put at $2.1 billion, or over 13% of the total European non-prescription bound market, it says, with over-the-counter purchases accounting for 63% of industry sales. France represents 24% of the total, followed by Germany with 21% and Italy with 13%. Laxatives are the largest subcategory, with 35% of the market, followed by antacids with 27% and antidiarrheals on 14%.