European Digestive Products Market

Consumer priorities differ widely country by country in the European market for digestive remedies, says a Frost & Sullivan study of four sectors of this market, which accounted for 14% of the total European over-the-counter drug market in 1993.

Of the four sectors, laxatives had the highest value in 1993, at $532.7 million out of a total market value of $1.11 billion. Some opportunities remain for this sector, such as in the UK, but Germany and Italy have matured, and trends towards healthy eating will also curb development. The belief that the aging population will boost sales of OTC laxatives may prove false, as older people are more likely to use prescription drugs, says F&S. Laxatives are expected to account for 41.8% of the market in the year 2000.

Fastest Growth For Indigestion Remedies On the other hand, OTC indigestion remedies will account for 42.8% of the market by then, it says, rising from a value of $416.7 million in 1993 to $596.7 million. This growth will be driven by the arrival of H2 antagonist products, and the fastest growth will be experienced by the UK, followed by Spain and Italy. Declining in importance will be Germany, France and Switzerland.