Profile: Consumer Health Care 

Imagepicture Consumer Health Care (photo)

Over-the-counter medicines are becoming increasingly important as a way to prevent and treat minor illnesses. The Consumer Health Care division offers consumers high-quality over-the-counter products for preventive health care and self-treatment of minor ailments. Many of these are sold under well-known brand names. Through them, Merck is helping to promote better health and improve quality of life.

Highlights of 2007

  • Total revenues increase by 5.0%, growing somewhat more strongly than the market
  • Strategic brands further strengthened
  • Divestment of the St. Gervais brand in France
  • Launch of the probiotic multivitamin brand Bion®3 in the Japanese consumer health care market
  • Launch of Kidabion® multivitamin syrup in China
  • Sustained success of Femibion® with the active ingredient Metafolin® in Europe
The business model

The Consumer Health Care division sees itself as a niche marketer and has been growing stronger than the market for the past five years. The main distribution channels for over-the-counter products are pharmacies, in some countries retail chains, and also mail order. In recent years, the portfolio of brands has been consolidated and targeted to large, international markets where they enjoy a high level of trust.

Key products

  • Mobility: Products to strengthen the joints, including the brands Seven Seas®, Seven Seas® JointCare and Kytta®
  • Everyday Health Protection: Vitamins and minerals sold under brand names such as Cebion®, Diabion® and the world’s first probiotic multivitamin brand Bion®3/Multibionta®
  • Women’s and Children’s Health: Femibion®, a multivitamin product with folic acid and Metafolin® for pregnant and nursing women; Kidabion® (Halib-orange®), a vitamin product for children
  • Cough and Cold: Cold remedy Nasivin®/Iliadin®, flu remedy Sedalmerck®
Market trends and
future prospects
  • The market research firm Nicholas Hall expects the consumer health care market to show average annual growth of approximately 4.7% up to 2011.
  • Strong impetus is coming from the emerging countries of central and eastern Europe, Latin America as well as east and southeast Asia owing to economic and demographic developments, leading to higher disposable income.
  • The general wellness trend and greater self-responsibility in the health care systems of many industrialized countries are increasing the importance of well-known and trusted over-the-counter medicines.
Last update 18.02.2008, © Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany