New formulations, ingredients heat up external analgesics sales

Drug Store News, July 6, 1998 by Tina Kyriakos

Hisamitsu America Inc., the marketing arm of Hisamitsu Pharmaceutical Co. Inc. of Japan, has also extended its delivery system for its increasingly popular Salonpas topical analgesic. Along with the four types of skin patches, the company has introduced a mousse to the U.S. market. The Salonpas Muscle Mousse sprays a foam to the affected area. Targeted at the sports or activity market, the product is said to dissolve and take the heat from the skin to accelerate pain relief. A cracking sound is produced when the foam is dissolved, giving users a feeling of relief.

Salonpas has a 31 percent share of the Japanese market for OTC external analgesics, but continues to be a smaller player in the topical analgesic game in the United States, where it made its first entry in 1987. Salonpas was selected one of the world's top 30 OTC brands by Nicholas Hall of England.

Other manufacturers are touting different ways of delivering pain relief. Icy Hot, Chattem's methyl salicylate/menthol combination analgesic, is presented in cream, balm and stick forms. Absorbine boasts a hands-free massage applicator that eliminates the problem of consumers inadvertently touching their eyes after application of the product.

The future

Of all the categories on the shelves, marketers say the future of topical pain relievers is assured. Along with an aging population that will assuredly seek relief for aches and pains, there's also a consumer trend that could further push their popularity. "The biggest opportunities to expand category usage is to go after people taking internal analgesics," explains Chattem's McConaghy. "There's a lot of buzz about people taking pills on regular basis, so the idea is to present external analgesics as the safer alternative."

The category will likely continue to be well supported. It's estimated that manufacturers are now spending about $40 to $50 million a year on measured media. Considering the category's produced just over $200 million in retail sales, it's obvious that companies are gearing up so their brands are well supported. And, just like capsaicin fueled the market, there's anticipation that new ingredients will bring new consumers into the category. And, as one marketing manager put it, "It's a category that won't disappear because people will suffer from chronic pain and will constantly be looking for new remedies and alternatives."