US analgesics market led by Pfizer's Advil

Current value retail sales within the US analgesics market grew by 2% through 2012, to reach a value of US$4.3 billion.

An analgesic is any member of the group of drugs used to achieve analgesia, relief from pain. Commonly known as painkillers, analgesic drugs act in various ways on the peripheral and central nervous systems.

They are distinct from anaesthetics, which reversibly eliminate sensation, and include paracetamol (known in the US as acetaminophen or simply APAP), the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as the salicylates, and opioid drugs such as morphine and opium.

With treatment of pain increasingly becoming multidisciplinary, pain clinics are being established that offer both conventional as well as alternative treatment modalities.

The United States represents the largest market for analgesics worldwide. Ageing population represents the key growth driver for the US chronic and acute pain management therapies market. The opioid and non-opioid pain management pharmaceuticals market holds immense potential due to significant unmet medical requirements in the pain treatment segment in the US.

After two years of recalls from Johnson & Johnson's McNeil consumer health subsidiary, 2012 was expected to be a year of recovery for the US analgesics market. Instead, production failures grew even more widespread. Novartis announced its own major recalls, including the popular analgesic brand Excedrin, after being forced to temporarily close its Lincoln, Nebraska manufacturing plant inDecember 2011. Meanwhile, McNeil recalled additional products, including Infants' Tylenol in February 2012.

After having to retract earlier projections, both Novartis and McNeil became more conservative about announcing when their troubled facilities were expected to be fully operational, although McNeil said in January 2012 that its target was 2014.

Pfizer led analgesics on the strength of ibuprofen brand Advil, which commanded 15% value share in 2012. Given its high level of brand recognition, Advil was historically a strong, but distant, second to McNeil's Tylenol in share.

For more information on the US analgesics market, see the latest research: US Analgesics Market

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