Kline: Nasacort Allergy 24HR helped lift allergy sales by 10%

PARSIPPANY, N.J. - The significant success of Nasacort Allergy 24 Hour in the past year can be attributed to a combination of product efficacy and retail execution, Laura Mahecha, Kline Healthcare Industry Manger, noted in a recent Kline blog. 

 

"Despite an already crowded OTC allergy market with stalwarts like oral medications Claritin (Bayer Group), Zyrtec (Johnson & Johnson), and Allegra (Sanofi) and strong penetration by private‑label versions of these major brands, Nasacort Allergy 24 Hour managed to deliver strong sales in its first year on the market," she wrote. "Although Nasacort’s form of being an inhaled medication would have been expected to be a disadvantage for the brand, since most consumers prefer to take oral medications, its increased efficacy compared to traditional antihistamines has proven to be more important," she noted. "Success of the product in year one is also a result of Chattem’s (division of Sanofi) well executed product launch with nationwide multimedia advertising, strong in‑store marketing and displays, and innovative interactive screens on retail shelves helping consumers understand how Nasacort works differently than existing OTC allergy brands.”

 

From February through December 2014, Nasacort generated about $100 million in sales at the manufacturer's level, she noted. Kline pegs the overall allergy market up 10% to over $1.8 billion in sales at the manufacturers’ level.