The best format for your fast-acting pain reliever
Analgesics (pain reliever) are one of the most widely consumed drugs in the world. Even before the pandemic, the number of people who consumed them on a regular basis reached 30 million 1 . This is partly because most of them do not require a prescription and their effects go beyond pain relief.
A bit of context
According to their function, this type of drug is divided into three types: primary, secondary and adjuvant.
Primary analgesics have the sole function of relieving pain and are usually broad-spectrum, i.e., they relieve different types of ailments. This group includes drugs such as paracetamol, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory analgesics such as ibuprofen, and opioids such as morphine.
Secondary analgesics have additional functions and relieve specific pain. They are also narrow-spectrum. Among the most popular are diazepam, tetrazepam and lidocaine.
Adjuvants are those drugs that help primary analgesics with pain management, because they do not act sufficiently on their own. Some of these medications are antidepressants, antiepileptics and corticosteroids.
Depending on their type of sale, analgesics can be over-the-counter or prescription painkillers.
Among the most common over-the-counter analgesics are acetaminophen and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen and aspirin. On the side of the most popular prescription painkillers, we find codeine and steroids such as cortisone.
The attractive market for analgesics
Given that pain is one of the most common health problems in the world, it stands to reason that the market for pain medications is highly attractive. In the United States alone, more than 30% of the population (by 2019) was living with some form of chronic pain2. Also in that country and in the same period, one in five adults claimed to have some type of chronic pain.
Because the simplest and least expensive way to treat pain is through OTC drugs, this market represents one of the most important in the pharmaceutical sector, with the Asian market being the most important in terms of growth3.
Globally, the OTC market is expected to grow by 6.65% for the period 2002-20273 and within this market, the analgesics segment is expected to grow at a 5% CAGR by 2031, with an approximate value of US$40 billion.4
Against this backdrop, it is very attractive to enter or diversify its business into OTC analgesic products, especially in the North American region, one of the most profitable in the world, with a value of 5.6 billion dollars (2021) and an expected growth of 5.9 billion dollars by 20314.
The best-selling analgesic globally is acetaminophen and it is also the second best-selling generic molecule in the world. It is known by the alternative name of acetaminophen and its most popular commercial product is Tylenol.
Acetaminophen is a commonly used analgesic and has the advantage that it has no adverse effects on the stomach mucosa. For this reason, it is considered safe to take along with other medications and to administer to the pediatric and geriatric population.
The second best-selling analgesic globally and the fifth best-selling generic molecule in the world is ibuprofen. Its most popular product is Advil.
This drug acts on the body by reducing its ability to produce pain-causing chemicals. In addition, as a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory it helps in reducing inflammation, which makes it ideal for ailments such as arthritis.The eighth best-selling generic molecule in the world and the third best-selling analgesic is acetylsalicylic acid, commonly known as aspirin. It is part of the non-steroidal anti-inflammatoryanalgesics (NSAIDs) and has the advantage that it is also a platelet antiaggregant, which means that it modifies blood clotting. For this reason, it is a drug recommended to treat circulatory issues and to prevent thrombosis or heart attacks.
Skills and opportunities
The outlook for the analgesic market is very promising, especially after the European Medicines Agency suggested that cases with mild Covid-19 symptoms could be treated with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen and acetaminophen.
This generated a boom in the purchase of these drugs, especially those with a faster response in their effect, also known as fast-acting drugs.
Within the fast-acting formats, syrups and suspensions are the fastest in terms of absorption, since the body needs the nutrients to be in a liquid medium in order to assimilate them properly. However, they are not the most practical dosage form, so they are usually relegated to pediatric use.
After liquids, the format with the fastest absorption speed by the body is the liquid-filled hard capsules. Because they are composed of two pieces, they disintegrate more easily in the stomach, releasing their contents quicker.
They are also the most cost-efficient option for a fast-acting analgesic, as they are less complex to produce than other formats, such as soft capsules, and are therefore also less expensive.
Advantages of producing your analgesic in liquid capsule form
- The capsule format is the second most widely used by the pharmaceutical industry and is proven to be one of the best in terms of cost-benefit ratio. In addition, by including the analgesic formulation in a liquid medium, it favors its absorption by the bloodstream, which translates into a faster effect.
- Hard capsules are very easy to swallow and can be formulated in different sizes, which is an advantage for your product development, as it allows you to create different presentations, for different needs or types of consumers.
- In the market there is an endless number of presentation formats for analgesics, the most common being the tablet. If you want to create a differentiated product that generates greater recall for its appearance and effect, you can opt for the liquid-filled capsule, in which you can also customize the color of the capsule and the sealing band.
- The production of a liquid-filled capsule is feasible in a plant where other types of drugs or products are already encapsulated; and even with the use of the same machines. You only need to make a few adaptations and adjustments to the equipment.
- Test batches for liquid-filled hard capsules are smaller than for other formats, such as soft capsules. This is because you can test with smaller quantities of capsules and without the need to outsource the process. In the case of soft capsules, you have to use a third party for their production, which will most likely require minimum production quantities.
When choosing a dosage form for your fast-acting analgesic, remember to consider all the relevant aspects of the market, from the flexibility of the product to adapt to different needs, the practicality of administration and even the possibility of customizing it according to your brand image.
References
1Bilge, S. y Gunaydin, C. Effects of Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs at the Molecular Level, The Eurasian Journal of Medicine, Junio de 2018.
2Doughman, E., U.S. Painkiller Market to Reach $5.9 Billion by 2023, pharmaceuticalprocessingworld.com, mayo del 2019.
3Mordor Intelligence, OVER THE COUNTER DRUGS MARKET – GROWTH, TRENDS, COVID-19 IMPACT, AND FORECASTS (2022 – 2027).
4Fact. MR., Over the Counter (OTC) Analgesics Market Report, October of 2021.
