Switch, relaunch increase sales

The big story in the digestives space is the switch and launch in May of Pfizer’s Nexium 24HR. In a little more than 10 weeks on the shelf, the brand has generated $53.6 million in sales across total U.S. multi-outlets for the 52 weeks ended Aug. 10, according to IRI. At that pace, annual sales of Nexium 24HR will approach — if not exceed — $300 million, which will make it the No. 2 brand behind Procter & Gamble’s Prilosec OTC.

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Nexium 24HR is the fourth proton-pump inhibitor to cross over from prescription-only to nonprescription, and while it’s becoming a crowded space, Nexium 24HR generated $2.1 billion in prescription sales in 2013, according to prescription patent holder AstraZeneca. So there now are a significant number of new patients shopping OTC digestive aisles.



Chattem’s Rolaids have been on the shelf for a little more than a year now, generating $21.2 million in sales and ranking the brand at No. 14 among antacid tablets. And Bayer’s Alka Seltzer Fruit Chews has helped lift sales of the Alka Seltzer brand $15.9 million on 230.2% year-over-year growth.



Probiotics also have trended well, with the best-selling probiotic, P&G’s Align, generating $72.3 million on a sales incline of 4.9%. I-Health’s Culturelle and Bayer’s Trubiotic are on sharper growth trajectories with $74.1 million in sales on growth of 20.1% and sales of $24.3 million, up 51.7%, respectively.