Expansion In The Constipation Remedy Industry
In surveys conducted by academic researchers and pharmaceutical companies, it has been revealed that constipation is a condition that’s estimated to afflict anywhere from 5 to 15% of the general population. The high incidence suggests not only that there exists a very large market for people interested in constipation treatments, but also that in response to the demand a plethora of agents have been developed to combat constipation.
New entrants into the market may feel some intimidation by the large number of companies already supplying constipation treatments. The underlying situation suggests there’s no need to worry. The reason is that constipation remains an “idiopathic” disease, meaning that there is no clear indicator of its cause. As a result, most people don’t know a priori the most effective treatment and must try a few before hitting upon one that works.
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.
The market for nutrient supplements is dominated by players such as Metamucil. The nutrients are derived from natural foods or grains that have lots of fiber. To take as an example, Metamucil comes in a powdered drink form which contains ground psyllium seeds that are extremely rich in fiber. People who take it simply mix it with fluids and drink it for a powerful daily dose.
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.
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