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Summary of our market study
French homeopathy market estimated at 400 million euros
The global homeopathy market has experienced strong growth and is set to continue expanding, rising from US$6.20 billion to US$19.78 billion between 2020 and 2030.
The French homeopathy market, despite the challenges posed by the total de-reimbursement by the French social security system in 2021, has resumed its growth. The Boiron group has forecast a 17% increase in sales in 2022, after a 50% drop in sales due to the delisting.
Exports of homeopathic products from France have remained stable in value terms, with the USA and Belgium being important markets, while Germany, Ireland, the USA and Switzerland account for over 50% of French imports.
The French market has long been a stronghold for homeopathic remedies.
Since delisting, the market has adapted. Leading homeopathic players, such as Laboratoires Boiron and Lehning, have diversified their offering to include probiotics, dietary supplements and health tests for influenza and Covid-19.
The average French user has been taking homeopathic treatments for around twenty years.
Some 20,000 general practitioners prescribe homeopathy on a daily basis, but only a minority specialize in this field. More than 50 hospital consultations offer homeopathic treatments.
It is thought that increased use of homeopathy could reduce reliance on more conventional medicines, which could lower healthcare costs. For specific health problems such as respiratory infections, musculoskeletal pain and psychological disorders, homeopathy could halve or even triple the use of conventional medicines.
Homeopathy market players
- Laboratoires Boiron fest one of the leaders in homeopathy.
- Rocal homeopathy, part of the Lehning group, is another benchmark in homeopathic treatments.
- Weleda offers not only homeopathic remedies, but also a wider range of natural health and wellness products...
- TP Santé (Cegedim group) and Mon Conseil Pharma (Carte Blanche Partenaires group) have focused their efforts on developing platforms and partnerships that facilitate access to homeopathic remedies.
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Summary and extracts
1 Market overview
1.1 Definition and scope of study
Homeopathy is a concept created in 1796 by the German physician Samuel Hahnemann. It is based on the idea thata substance that causes a symptom can be used to treat the same symptom of disease. Practitioners of homeopathy believe it works by stimulating the body to heal itself. This practice is based on 3 essential principles[Ministère de la Santé et de la Prévention] :
- similarity: what can make you ill in high doses can cure you in low doses.
- infinitesimality : remedies are prepared from active substances called "strains", taken from the plant, mineral and animal kingdoms, using successive Hahnemannian or Korsakovian dilution techniques.
- the principle of individualization: the approach takes into account not only the symptoms associated with a person's illness, but also their physical and psychological particularities.
The global homeopathy market is estimated to be worth 7.82 billion dollars by 2022. It has grown strongly in recent years and should continue to do so over the next seven years. Europe is currently the leading market for this alternative medicine, followed by North America and Asia. However, it is on the latter continent that sales growth is expected to be most significant, due to the full market entry of the largest Asian homeopathic laboratories. France, meanwhile, is one of the leading consumer countries for homeopathy, with an estimated 77% of French people having used this form of treatment by 2018. [Ipsos]. France is therefore home to a mature market with consumers who are loyal to and educated about homeopathy.
The French market is dominated by long-established players such as the Boiron laboratory, which holds over 50% of market share[Capital], and the Lehning laboratory. Other groups have entered this market more recently, such as the Gilbert group, traditionally specialized in children's health and cosmetics.
Homeopathy has seen its position as an ideal complement to traditional medicine called into question, due to the decision taken in 2019 by Agnès Buzyn, then Minister of Health, to reduce in 2020 and then stop in 2021 the reimbursement of homeopathic treatments by Social Security. Whereas previously many of these treatments were reimbursed at up to 30%, they are now not reimbursed at all from January1, 2021.
As a result, the market suffered a significant drop in volume in 2020 and 2021, which was then partially offset by a rise in treatment prices, and a diversification of activities by major market players (probiotics, dietary supplements, flu tests and Covid-19). Boiron, for example, saw its sales increase by 17% in 2022, after having been divided by 2 between 2019 and 2021. [Challenges]
1.2 Global market
The global homeopathy market is growing rapidly, and is expected to increase by **.*% between **** and ****, from US$*.** billion to US$**.** billion.
sales trends in the homeopathy market World, ****-****, in US$ billion Source: ****
This increase in sales is due to the expansion of this product into more and more markets, whether ...
1.3 Domestic market
In ****, Le Monde estimated the weight of the homeopathy market at *.**% of drug sales by value. That's *** million euros, out of a drug market worth **.* billion euros. We will assume that this share remains unchanged over the ****-**** period.
However, according to the French Pharmaceutical Companies Association (***), sales on the pharmaceutical ...
1.4 International trade
In the CN* nomenclature, homeopathy is included in the category"******** - Medicinal products consisting of mixed or unmixed products, prepared for therapeutic or prophylactic purposes, and put up in measured doses (***)."
However, this data needs to be analyzed with a critical eye, as the category also includes other alternative pharmaceutical products, ...
1.5 Growth slowed by the health crisis and total delisting of reimbursements
While the sector saw its sales slow in **** due to the health crisis, characterized by a sharp decline in winter illnesses, it was further disrupted by the delisting of its products from January *, ****. The study by Boiron, the world leader in homeopathy, is significant in this respect. Its sales fell by ...
2 Demand analysis
2.1 A well-established French consumer practice
Health, at the heart of French people's concerns
At the heart of the **** presidential campaign, **% of French people ranked healthcare as one of the priorities to be addressed by politicians, second only to purchasing power [***].
These figures are the result of a sharp rise in demand for healthcare and medical goods ...
2.2 Popular with the French, but not with healthcare professionals
Homeopathy tops the list of therapies favored by the French [***] The barometer dates from ****, but this gap still exists in ****.
assessment of the gap between patients and doctors on the question of homeopathy France, ****, % Source: ****
This result is significant, even though in ****, **% of French people had confidence in healthcare professionals.[***]
2.3 The French appreciate alternative medicine
Harris interactive conducted a study for Santéclair on "The French and alternative medicine", in ****. The proportion of French people who said they had a good image of alternative medicine was **%, with an over-representation of women and affluent categories. These practices are considered better for the body and the environment than ...
2.4 Homeopathy to reduce healthcare costs
Homeopathy would be in the interest of public health, insofar as the demand for homeopathic products would reduce the demand for heavier drugs. In particular, it could reduce the demand for iatrogenic drugs by a factor of * or *.
For cases of equivalent severity and similar clinical results, homeopathy can be used[***] ...
3 Market structure
3.1 Overview of players
While **,*** general practitioners prescribe homeopathy every day, only *,*** are experts in the field. [***]
According to an Ipsos survey published by Boiron, in ****, those who prescribe the most homeopathy on a daily basis are midwives (***) sell homeopathy on a daily basis.
evaluation of homeopathic practice by healthcare professionals France, ****, % Source: ****
Laboratory involvement ...
3.2 Manufacturing homeopathic products
Homeopathic products come in a variety of forms: granules, syrups and sachets. They are made mainly from plants, but also from minerals, animal matter or chemicals. [***]
Nature of active product by origin France, ****, % Source: ****
These extracts are chosen according to the symptoms they produce, since the homeopathic method consists in "curing ...
4 Offer analysis
4.1 Product offering typology
Average prices for tubes of homeopathic granules are summarized in the following table[***]:
The price of homeopathic granules is now set freely by the laboratories. Prices have been rising steadily since homeopathy was completely de-reimbursed on January *, ****. Some professionals are talking about an increase of up to **% in the price of ...
4.2 Complementary health care offers and services integrating homeopathy
All contracts include homeopathic cover. What's more, ***% of mid-range contracts include a"well-being package". Finally, complementary health insurance covers €*.** per unit of homeopathic medicine prescribed.
In addition, complementary health insurance is supported by a number of services:
Homeo and prevention" webinar for policyholders; Teleconsultation with a homeopathic doctor; Editorial content and ...
4.3 Development of easy management solutions
While homeopathy has been de-reimbursed since January *, ****, three types of players are increasingly calling for a new formula to frame the sector's offerings:
Complementary healthcare ; Patients; Pharmacists. [***]
The main offers already in place are those proposed by the Organismes de Tiers-Payant (***) Cégédim and Carte Blanche Partenaire, with the TP ...
5 Regulations
5.1 Regulations
Article **** of the European Pharmacopoeia stipulates that the name given to a homeopathic preparation is usually the Latin name of the strain used, accompanied by the degree of dilution it has undergone. The French pharmacopoeia lists a number of homeopathic preparations, some examples of which are given below:
Abbies nigra PPH ...
6 Positioning the players
6.1 Segmentation
- Boiron
- Weleda
- Laboratoires Lehning
- Cegedim
- Carte Blanche Partenaires
- Juvamine (Urgo Groupe)
List of charts presented in this market study
- Sales trends in the homeopathic market
- Trends in the French homeopathy market
- Export destination by country for item NC8 30049000
- Origin of imports by country for item NC8 30049000
- Trade balance
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Latest news
Homeopathy: the Boiron family wants to delist the laboratory - 05/07/2023
- The Boiron family group controls almost 70% of the homeopathic laboratory's capital.
- The family-owned laboratory employs 2,750 people.
- The laboratory posted sales of 534 million euros, up 17% year-on-year.
Valérie Lorentz-Poinsot leads the diversification of Boiron, the champion of homeopathy - 06/05/2023
- In 2022, Boiron's homeopathy business grew by 1%.
- Growth was driven in particular by North America.
- Boiron's sales in 2022 will be 534 million euros, an increase of 17%.
- Two years ago, sales fell by 40%.
- Restructuring led to the loss of 512 jobs and the closure of thirteen sites. Headcount in France at 1,800.
Boiron: a successful 2022 thanks to innovation. - 05/04/2023
- - Boiron was founded in 1932 by Jean and Henri Boiron, and is 69.7% owned by the family.
- - Boiron's sales for 2022 have rebounded by 17.4% compared with 2021, reaching over 534 million euros.
- - In France, Boiron's sales for 2022 amount to 261 million euros, an increase of 9.4%.
- - Boiron controls almost 90% of the French homeopathic market.
- - By 2021, Boiron's sales had fallen to 455.20 million euros, compared with 604 million in 2018.
- - Sales of products launched by Boiron since 2020 generated 77.6 million euros in 2022.
- - Boiron has diversified into Covid-19 and flu screening tests, which generated 50 million euros in 2022.
- - Boiron has 2,769 employees, including 1,811 in France.
- - In 2022, Boiron obtained 223 marketing authorizations worldwide.
- - Boiron is present in 50 countries, with sales in North America of €120.5 million in 2022, an increase of 43.7%.
- - Boiron has diversified into probiotics, dietary supplements and cosmetics, with the acquisition of start-up Abbi for 1.75 million euros in February 2022.
Weleda aims to rejuvenate its brand and accelerate innovation - 28/02/2023
- The group has stopped production of homeopathic medicines at its Alsace site.
- The French subsidiary cut 126 jobs
- France remains the second-largest market behind Germany, accounting for 20% of group sales
- Weleda relies on a distribution network built around pharmacies, parapharmacies and specialized organic retailers
Medicines: Boiron laboratories saved by Covid tests - 29/01/2023
- Sales of 534 million euros by 2022, up 17%
- Agreements with Breton company NG Biotech, for which it assembles and distributes tests from its Messimy plant
- Agreement with Sino-American laboratory Anbio to market its Covid tests
- Closure of several preparation and distribution centers across the country
- In beauty, Boiron acquired Abbi, a start-up, for 1.75 million euros in the first half of 2022
Weleda discontinues homeopathy production in Huningue - 06/07/2022
- Weleda discontinues the production of homeopathic products at the Huningue site
- 127 of 290 jobs are under threat
- The site is running at 30% of its capacity.
- Production will be discontinued in France and continued in Germany.
- The Group is looking for a buyer, production will cease in 2023
- The Group's turnover in 2021 amounted to EUR 60 million.
- Weleda's turnover has fallen by 36% in four years
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the homeopathy market | France
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