Even with 30 million cases of erectile dysfunction (ED) in Europe, the infertility drugs market has not taken off to the expected extent in the region. The blame could lie largely with the conservative attitude regarding infertility among both men and women. While more than half the men over 40 years of age suffer from this disorder, only 10 to 15 per cent seek treatment.
Drug companies can profit from these untapped markets by improving awareness in the target population. More men have already started consulting doctors, especially since ED is treatable at any stage.
There is also a high prevalence of ED in comorbid medical conditions and through associated risk factors such as cardiovascular diseases, hypertension, dyslipidemia and depression. Superior R&D and innovation-focused strategies will enable market participants to better harness the potential of this market.
The increasing demand for ED products such as Viagra, Cialis and Levitra has strained healthcare budgets. Thus Infertility medicines are now excluded from the reimbursement list of many countries in Europe.
Although most European nations have several cost containment measures in place, the conditions for prescribing medicines, the number of pills covered by regulatory authorities and the level of co-payment vary among the various countries.
Initially, products such as Viagra were not reimbursed anywhere in Europe except in the United Kingdom. In most markets, there is no reimbursement even for Cialis and Levitra, which are cheaper than Viagra. Compensation for assisted reproductive technologies (ART) procedures is also limited in many countries.
“Companies have to focus on product innovation and competitive pricing for better targeting of consumers and brand positioning,” says Mr. Himanshu Parmar, Industry Analyst with Frost & Sullivan. “They should also consider generic product development strategies to sustain revenue.”