In 2004 the OTC cold, flu and allergy remedies market reached an estimated $2.8 billion in sales, increasing by 5.4% at constant prices from 1999-2004. This sharp increase is mainly due to the switch of Schering-Plough’s Claritin to OTC status, after the company’s patent on loratadine expired. Claritin sold over $290 million in both tablet and liquid forms in 2003, and dropped slightly to $271.7 million in 2004. Wyeth’s loratadine tablet product, Alavert, sold nearly $59 million in its first year, 2003, and gained slightly in 2004 with sales of $59.3 million. The combination of these two high-selling products and the resilience of competing products are the primary reasons for the sharp increase.

The growing number of Americans without health insurance has driven the practice of self-diagnosis and self-medication, which has led many Americans to choose OTC remedies rather than more costly prescriptions to alleviate symptoms of cold, flu, and allergies. Also, increased levels of incidence over the past cold and flu season have helped to maintain steady sales of OTC remedies in the past year. In this report, Mintel explores the most important market drivers, including increased incidence caused by greater seasonal severity, the OTC switch of the loratadine drug Claritin, the introduction of Alavert, and the growing number of uninsured Americans. Original and exclusive research defines consumer usage of and attitudes towards the cold, flu, and allergy remedy market.