Recently, many netizens posted that the price of the well-known hemorrhoids drug Taining Suppository (Taining Compound Horn Suppository) has increased more than ten times, from the initial 20 yuan per box, to the current price of 3.4g×6 pieces/plate/box specifications of Taining Suppository is generally more than 200 yuan, and many offline pharmacies have difficulty finding the drug.
The Taining plug is owned and manufactured by Xi'an Janssen Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. ("Xi'an Janssen"). Regarding the out-of-stock and price increase of Taining plugs, Xi'an Janssen said that because the main active raw materials of raw material compound caratoate are naturally extracted and non-renewable, there is no sustainable supply and production of raw materials in the world. Therefore, from November 2023, the company will stop the supply of compound carrat suppositories. Patients are advised to consult a doctor, and the doctor will prescribe alternative medications depending on the severity of the patient's illness.
The global shortage of raw materials has led to the discontinuation of pharmaceutical production
According to the official website of the State Drug Administration, Taining Suppository is an over-the-counter external drug used for the symptomatic treatment of pain, itching, swelling and bleeding caused by hemorrhoids and other anal diseases, and can also be used to relieve discomfort after local anal surgery.
According to the "Chinese Expert Consensus on Transanal Drug Injection for Constipation (2022) Edition", compound carratitate suppositories can form mucus-like elastic gel in the rectum, protect the rectal mucosa and smooth stool at the same time, suitable for patients with hemorrhoids and constipation, and can be used safely by pregnant and lactating women, with a strong recommendation level.
The reporter searched on various online shopping e-commerce platforms and found that the price of 3.4g×6 pieces/plate/box specifications of Taining suppository currently on sale on the Meituan drug buying platform has changed greatly, with an average price of 230~280 yuan, while the price of Taining suppository on Taobao, Jingdong and other e-commerce platforms is basically the same as that of Meituan.
In addition, after the reporter inquired by telephone and visited several local pharmacies in Guangzhou, it was found that it was almost difficult to find Taining plugs in offline pharmacies, and online pharmacies were the main purchase path for patients.
According to the information released by the China Medical Information Inquiry Platform in March last year, the market price of Taining Suppository (generic name: compound carratin suppository) is about 23-68 yuan.
In just one year, why did the price of Taining suppository fluctuate so much? The reporter noticed that the suspension of production was the most direct reason for the shortage of the drug and the increase in price.
According to Xi'an Janssen, because the main active raw material of raw material compound caratoate is naturally extracted and non-renewable, there is currently no sustainable supply and production of raw materials in the world. As a result, the company stopped supplying caratocarat plugs from November 2023. This also means that the Taining bolts currently on sale on the market are all channel inventory.
The reporter further inquired and learned that the horn ate ate is an extract from the red algae (red seaweed), and "horn cabbage", also known as Irish moss gum, is named after the traditional collection place - a small village in Ireland. The natural product obtained from this seaweed is known for its caroba slurry. The main effect of carrutinate is to clear away heat and detoxify, and to relieve the stomach.
According to the Global Times, Wang Lili, deputy chief physician of the Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery of Peking University People's Hospital, said that there are two reasons for the interruption of the supply of arabetate: first, climate and other factors cause the above-mentioned seaweed to be non-renewable, and second, the cost of processing and transportation of raw materials has risen, resulting in the inability to continue production. Wang Li said that although the production of compound carratin suppositories has been discontinued, patients with hemorrhoids do not need to worry too much, and there are many drugs to choose from.
The market size of hemorrhoids medication exceeds 4 billion yuan
Hemorrhoids are one of the most common anal diseases in clinical practice. According to the survey statistics of the China Anorectal Association, the incidence of anorectal diseases in China is 59%, of which hemorrhoids account for 87.25%, and there is basically no difference in the probability of men and women getting hemorrhoids.
After the Spring Festival this year, the topic of "the sales of hemorrhoids cream tripled in 3 days after the start of work" rushed to the hot search, triggering a discussion among the majority of netizens. It has been reported that there are three main causes of hemorrhoids, poor eating habits, sitting and squatting for long periods of time, and poor bowel habits, all of which increase the risk of hemorrhoids.
According to the geographical distribution data of hemorrhoids cream buyers on an e-commerce platform, the first place is Guangdong Province, accounting for 18.22%, the second place is Zhejiang Province, accounting for 11.45%, and the third place, Jiangsu Province accounting for 8.33%.
According to the 2023 edition of the Market Analysis Research Report on China's Hemorrhoids Medication Industry by Zhiyan Consulting, the common treatments for hemorrhoids include surgical treatment, internal and external use of traditional Chinese medicine, fumigation combined with oral Chinese medicine, etc.
According to the above research report, hemorrhoids medication can be divided into two categories: Chinese patent medicine and chemical medicine, with the market size of Chinese patent medicine for hemorrhoids in mainland China reaching 4.218 billion yuan, accounting for 84.82%, and the market size of chemical drugs being 755 million yuan, accounting for 15.18%. There are relatively few kinds of chemicals for the treatment of hemorrhoids, mainly compound carratinate and diosmin, and the price of tynine suppositories is also included.
From the perspective of domestic drug manufacturers, Ma Yinglong Pharmaceutical, Rongchang Pharmaceutical, Jingxiutang, Sanjiu Pharmaceutical, etc. occupy a large market share in the hemorrhoids drug market.
Among them, Ma Yinglong's hemorrhoids drug products have been in the top spot for a long time. Ma Yinglong's 2022 annual report shows that the revenue of hemorrhoidal treatment products is 1.488 billion yuan, accounting for more than 40% of the total revenue, and the gross profit margin is as high as 72.08%, which is 30 percentage points higher than the company's overall gross profit margin.
In March this year, an investor asked Ma Yinglong on the interactive platform, "Xi'an Janssen's Taining compound carratinate suppositories and latex will be discontinued at the end of 2023, do Ma Yinglong have any plans to produce compound carratinate suppositories and latex to occupy the hemorrhoid market that originally used Xi'an Janssen's Taining compound caratoate suppositories and latex?" Ma Yinglong replied: "The company has no relevant plans at present." ”
It is worth noting that pregnant women are a special group of hemorrhoids, and they are also a group with a high incidence of hemorrhoids. In this regard, experts remind that considering the particularity of medication during pregnancy, when choosing hemorrhoids medicine, it is necessary to see whether there is a label such as "forbidden for pregnant women and use with caution" on the instructions, or consult a doctor directly, and under the guidance of the doctor, selectively use hemorrhoids cream, and use it in strict accordance with the instructions to avoid adverse effects on the fetus.
Reporter Chen Zeyun
Editor: Zhan Shuzhen
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