Financial Growth Outlook For The Laxative Sector
Research reports from industry and university researchers continue to indicate that constipation affects a broad swathe of the population. The numbers suggest that some 10% of the population has experienced constipation within the last six months and some smaller fraction experience it on a chronic basis. Therefore the demand for constipation treatments remain large but also the industry has responded with a plethora of remedy products.
The fact that there are many supplements and medications targeted toward the constipation patient might discourage new entrants into the market, however the truth is that there are fairly few (if any) universally effective treatments. Instead, the product market is fragmented into sectors, none of which can provide complete relief to the average sufferer. The market for constipation treatments can continue to support novel agents, as long as they provide new benefits over existing treatments.
At the moment, the market for therapeutics is divisible into four categories. These include herbal supplements that are usually not regulated by the FDA unless there are exceptional circumstances, medical laxatives that can be prescribed or bought over counter, nutritional supplements available in health or fitness stores, and a new class of molecular therapies which act in novel ways unless traditional therapies.
Nutritional supplements include among them distinguished brands like Metamucil, the main ingredients of which are usually some natural product with exceptionally high fiber. For example, psyllium husks from the Plantago shrub are high in fiber and used in supplements. They are often found in powdered form so as to be mixed with water to make a drinkable source of fiber.
By and large, herbal supplements are synonymous with senna, which are rich in sennosides, a class of compounds that stimulates the intestine. The constipation treatment market used to be much more crowded with other herbal supplements like aloe and cascara, but the FDA has since then cracked down on new entrants to the field because of safety concerns. Some manufacturers still produce aloe-based herbal supplements in concordance with the law.
The largest class of laxatives in the market of constipation treatments is the one that includes OTC agents found in pharmacies and apothecaries. Such laxatives come in various brand names, have various active ingredients and act in different ways. Patients might consider trying two or three classes before settling on any one. For example, lubricant laxatives help reduce water uptake by coating food in an oily cover. If a patient doesn’t respond to it, he or she might try a stimulant laxative that causes the gastrointestinal tract to contract more often for speeding up movement of contents.
The last class of medications is the one to which Amitiza belongs, new molecular therapies that are designed specifically for constipation. Amitiza for example has been approved for both IBS-C and chronic constipation. It acts by binding to a cellular molecule known as a ClC2 channel. There are a number of similar therapies being developed. Some like Amitiza promise to open up new vistas by treating constipation in entirely different ways from traditional medications.
Readers wishing to understand more can browse over to learn about treating constipation. Niche detail resources on constipation risk factors are available.
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