Pet Medications in the U.S.: Prescription and Over-the-Counter Remedies as Consumer Products, 2nd Edition

14 Oct 2011 • by Natalie Aster

Seismic shifts are underway in the U.S. market for pet medications as the top veterinary brands of flea/tick spot-ons enter broader distribution; Bayer is leading the way with Advantage and K9 Advantix. At the same time, generic versions of fipronil (the active ingredient in Merial’s Frontline) are coming onto the scene, in some cases resulting in court battles and product withdrawals. Also upping the ante, major retailers including Walmart and Target are moving into the pet medications space both in store and online, representing new competition to veterinarians and third-party Internet retailers such as PetMed Express. The upshot is increased price pressure, but also potential for an expanded base of purchasers as pet specialty and mass-market retailers create stronger pet health departments centered around formerly vet-only products. Also bolstering market prospects, all of the world’s largest pharmaceutical companies continue to invest in medications for companion animals, often mirroring trends in human medications while targeting the needs of the growing populations of aging and overweight pets.

Bringing in broad perspective from other reports in Packaged Facts’ extensive Pet Market Collection, the report “Pet Medications in the U.S.: Prescription and Over-the-Counter Remedies as Consumer Products, 2nd Edition” analyzes the market for prescription, over-the-counter, and “ethical” (nonprescription medications whose distribution is restricted by the manufacturer to veterinarians) medications for dogs and cats, with a particular focus on brand-name products used by consumers and on antiparasitics. Retail sales are quantified and projected forward through 2015, and broken out by product type, animal type and retail channel. Despite the lingering impact of the recession, the market outlook remains strong, with U.S. retail sales projected to grow 38% from 2010 to 2015 to reach $9.3 billion. The report provides in-depth coverage of competitive trends and new product trends, and features exclusive consumer data from Packaged Facts’ May-June 2011 Pet Owner Survey. Uniquely cross-tabulated consumer survey results from Experian Simmons provide additional insight into pet medication consumer usage rates, demographics and psychographics.

Report Details:

Pet Medications in the U.S.: Prescription and Over-the-Counter Remedies as Consumer Products, 2nd Edition
Published: October 2011
Pages: 228
Price: US$ 3,300.00

Report Sample Abstract

High-Level Activity in Flea/Tick Segment

As of this writing, the most active area of consumer pet medications is the largest one, flea/tick care, especially in the spot-ons (topical) segment. For many years, flea/tick spot-ons have been subject to massive gray market (unauthorized) distribution of products that are supposed to be restricted to the veterinary channel—Frontline and Advantage, most notoriously. During 2010, however, Bayer released Advantage into broader retail distribution, and in spring 2011 the first generic versions of fipronil (the active ingredient in Merial’s Frontline) appeared in products from Sergeant’s (Pronyl and FiproGuard). In the short-term, this activity should boost flea/tick care sales by making the products more affordable and more widely available in non-veterinary channels including pet specialty stores, supermarkets, mass merchandisers, drugstores, warehouse clubs, and online. On the other hand, the longer-term impact will likely be even more price pressure in the market.

Flea/Tick Cross-Overs Driving More Robust Pet Health Departments

Considering the broader market for pet medications, the wider availability of flea/tick spotons should make it possible for pet specialty and mass-market retailers to build more robust pet health departments centered around “veterinary” flea/tick products. Clearly, there is much room for growth in pet specialty and mass-market channels alike, where the range and penetration of OTC pet medications are surprisingly narrow, and where sales of topical antiparasitics have always taken a distant backseat to those of the veterinary brands. As the retail side of the market develops, brands like Advantage and Frontline likely will also be extended to include other types of flea/tick products, echoing the full-line approach of retail lines like Central Garden & Pet’s Bio Spot and Zodiac.

More information can be found in the report “Pet Medications in the U.S.: Prescription and Over-the-Counter Remedies as Consumer Products, 2nd Edition” by Packaged Facts.

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