Gain Insight in to Medicated Skin Care in Austria

Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/c87364) has announced the addition of “Medicated Skin Care in Austria” to their offering.

Euromonitor International’s Medicated Skin Care in Austria market report offers a comprehensive guide to the size and shape of the market at a national level. It provides the latest retail sales data, allowing you to identify the sectors driving growth. It identifies the leading companies, the leading brands and offers strategic analysis of key factors influencing the market – be they new product developments, packaging innovations, economic/lifestyle influences, distribution or pricing issues. Forecasts illustrate how the market is set to change.

Product coverage

Acne treatments; Antiparasitics/lice (head and body) treatments; Antipruritics; Child-specific medicated skin care; Emollients/therapeutic moisturisers; Haemorrhoid treatments; Hair loss treatments; Lip care treatments; Medicated shampoos; Nappy (diaper) rash treatments; Topical allergy remedies/antihistamines; Topical antifungals; Topical germicidals/antiseptics; Vaginal antifungals

Data coverage: market sizes (historic and forecasts), company shares and brand shares

Why buy this report?

– Get a detailed picture of the medicated skin care industry

– Identify factors driving change

– Understand the competitive environment, the market’s major players and leading brands

– Use five-year forecasts to assess how the market is predicted to develop

With a network of over 600 analysts worldwide, we have a unique capability to develop reliable information resources to help drive informed strategic planning.

Executive Summary from OTC Healthcare in Austria

Cough, cold and allergy (hay fever) remedies has strongest influence on sales

Sales of OTC Healthcare grew to EUR429 million in 2005: a healthy 4% current value increase in 2005 compared to a weaker growth in 2004. This was mainly due to the strong development of cough, cold and allergy (hay fever) remedies and some additional sales of vitamins and dietary supplements. These were the two largest sectors in OTC Healthcare in Austria in 2005.

Main driver of OTC Healthcare 2005 is longer, stronger flu season

The main reason for this development was a stronger and longer cold and flu season at the beginning, as well as at the end of 2005. This resulted in 5% additional sales of cough, cold and allergy (hay fever) remedies.

The winter was not a big exception but still generated an additional demand for OTC Healthcare products. This also shows that OTC Healthcare sales are quite seasonal as well as more difficult to predict as, mainly, sales are demand driven and only a few Austrians can be convinced to take a pill unnecessarily.

Bayer boosts its overall shares with the acquisition of Roche’s OTC brands

With the takeover of all OTC brands from Roche Austria GmbH, effective from 1 January 2005, Bayer Austria GmbH acquired the leadership of OTC Healthcare sales in Austria with 11% value sales. This enabled Bayer to position itself in sectors and subsectors where it did not previously have any brands.

Low level of product development in 2005

2005 saw a small number of new product developments. The forced-switching regulation (introduced in 2002) continued to make no practical impact, despite the existence of a large number of switched substances. This was mainly due to the smallness of the sectors and, therefore, the unwillingness of manufacturers to invest in research and development as well as in marketing in order to raise general acceptance of OTC Healthcare products.

Some sectors, for example, calming and sleeping products, saw a trend toward more herbal products. This was not true for overall OTC Healthcare as, for instance, analgesics experienced a slight shift toward standard products.

Chemists/pharmacies dominates retail

The regulation of OTC Healthcare products’ distribution was relaxed by Austrian health authorities in order to lessen the strain on the healthcare system. The laws concerning chemists/pharmacies in Austria are particularly rigorous. For instance, chemists/pharmacies is not allowed to form a chain, and has very restrictive shop layouts. Also, it is very difficult to open chemists/pharmacies.

Established chemists/pharmacies embraces these regulations as it protects it from direct competitors. Drugstores/parapharmacies chains, especially DM-Drogeriemarkt, is trying to lobby for more products being allowed through additional outlets — with some success. The regulatory bodies approved some switches and new registrations for OTC Healthcare products to be sold in drugstores/parapharmacies. However, manufacturers are afraid of losing their good partnership with chemists/pharmacies. Normally, OTC Healthcare is a smaller division compared to manufacturers’ Rx products, so they limit their products to being marketed through chemists/pharmacies.

Companies Mentioned:

Boehringer Ingelheim Austria GmbH

Kwizda F Joh GmbH

Apomedica GMBH & Co KG

For more information, visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/c87364