Generics contend in PPIs

Procter & Gamble’s Prilosec OTC still is the best-selling antacid on the market, with more than $252.7 million in annual sales for the 52 weeks ended July 8 across food, drug and mass (excluding Walmart), followed by fellow proton-pump inhibitor Novartis’ Prevacid 24HR ($104.1 million).


Both of those antacid heavy hitters are losing dollar share to their generic-
equivalent competitors, however, leaving GlaxoSmithKline’s venerable Tums brand as the largest growth brand within antacids ($91.3 million in sales, up 2.5%).


GSK’s latest crack at Tums reinvigoration is its Tums Freshers line extension, which couples Tums’ heartburn relief with fresh breath and was voted the most innovative OTC product launch in the past year in DSN’s Innov-ies awards. 


GSK may have another PPI switch to contend with in the near future. There is speculation that AstraZeneca may send its prescription-only Nexium brand down the same Rx-to-OTC pathway as its Prilosec OTC. Perrigo president and CEO Joseph Papa speculated a Nexium switch was likely, though not definite, during a recent conference call. “I look at the success they’ve had with the Prilosec product [and] I look at how much direct-to-consumer promotion they put behind the brand — they are clearly establishing Nexium as a very important brand for consumers. So I think, for those two reasons, I do expect to see Nexium go over-the-counter.”

The article above is part of the DSN Category Review Series. For the complete Digestives Buy-In Report, including extensive charts, data and more analysis, click here.