Financial Expansion Prospects For The Constipation Remedy Market

According to surveyors from both academia and the pharmaceutical industry, the general population experiences a 10% incidence rate of constipation. Such a high incidence means that there is a large market for medications and supplements targeted toward constipation, and that the number of players in the market that supply these treatment agents is correspondingly large.

Many entrepreneurs interested in entering the market for supplying constipation treatments may be discouraged by what may seem to be a mature, stable and saturated market. The real situation however, is both more hopeful and bleak simultaneously. The reason is that there are few if any constipation remedies that are effective for everyone all the time. The market is split into various treatments of varying efficacy, with little diagnostics to distinguish which patients benefit from which treatments.

The current state of affairs in the constipation treatment market is that products can be categorized into 4 divisions. The four can be summarized as the following: over-the-counter medications or ones requiring prescriptions, nutritional supplements available to most consumers without prescription, natural herbal agents not in the purview of the FDA, and finally a novel but handful of molecular therapeutics that target root biological causes of constipation.

Nutritional supplements include among them distinguished brands like Metamucil, the main ingredients of which are usually some natural product with exceptionally high fiber. For example, psyllium husks from the Plantago shrub are high in fiber and used in supplements. They are often found in powdered form so as to be mixed with water to make a drinkable source of fiber.

For constipation remedies based on herbs, one will likely find that senna is the biggest contender on the block. There actually are a number of other herbal agents which exert a propulsive effect on intestinal contents such as aloe and cascara. However, safety concerns in recent years mean that manufacturers can no longer indicate on labeling that aloe and cascara are meant for constipation. Many people adhere to FDA guidelines.

Over-the-counter laxative agents make up the largest proportion of constipation treatments. Laxative agents are diverse, operating through different physiological labels such as “stimulant”, “lubricant” or “bulk”. The stimulant laxatives actually cause greater muscle movement in the large intestine that helps push food along. The lubricant laxative reduce water uptake in the gut which helps keep the food retain fluid and eases its movement.

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.

If you are intent on constipation remedies, come check out our site. Discover the latest information and writings in regards to constipation risk factors.