The homeopathy market - France (2024)

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 for those suffering from chronic illnesses or those looking for natural, gentle preventive or curative products. The market is also boosted by online sales. However, the restrictive regulation of this type of product is hampering growth potential.

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 market rose from €**.* billion to €**.* billion between **** and ****. This would correspond to a homeopathy market of *** million in ****.

However, the sector saw a sharp drop in ****, and again in ****, due to the cyclical reduction in winter pathologies and the new regulations on homeopathy in France. To estimate the fall in the sector's revenues, we will rely on data relating to the sector's giant, Boiron, which enjoys a virtual monopoly on the French market. In ****, its market share is estimated at over **%[***]. However, that same year, the company predicted that delisting would lead to a **% drop in sales in **** on previously reimbursed products(***) in the sector's sales. This decline needs to be qualified, however, as the drop in volume may be offset by a rise in prices, although this is unlikely given that these products are already relatively expensive. Boiron could also rely on exports.

In ****, two years after the implementation ...

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, notably herbal.

trade balance trends France, ****-****, in billions of euros Source: ****

In ****, exports by value amounted to **.* billion euros, compared with **.* billion euros for imports. The coverage rate remained more or less unchanged between **** and ****.

Export destination by country France, ****, % of total Source: ****

In terms of exports, the USA (***) are major markets for alternative pharmaceutical products such as homeopathy. Outside these countries, however, France trades with a wide range of players, all of which account for less than **% of its outlets.

Origin of imports by country France, ****, % of imports Source: ****

Imports are already more concentrated, with * countries accounting for over **% of French imports of homeopathic and similar products: Germany (***).

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 -**% in the first half of ****. Sales fell by **%, from *** million euros in the first half of **** to *** million euros over the same period in ****.

evolution of Boiron Group net income and net loss France, ****-****, in millions of euros Source: ****

Boiron has therefore had to review its entire industrial strategy in order to adapt to this new context. In ****, ** million euros of the Group's sales were generated by the sale of self-tests. Internationalization and therapeutic cannabis are two other possible resilience strategies for players in the sector. [***]

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 in France. Indeed, their consumption is growing steadily. It has risen from ***.* billion euros in **** to ***.* billion euros in ****, according to a DREES study. We can therefore conclude that the French are increasingly concerned about their health.

Consumption of healthcare and medical goods France, ****-****, in billions of euros DREES - Vie Publique

The French believe in the efficacy of homeopathy

A **** Ipsos study reveals that the French have been using homeopathy regularly for an average of ** years (***), with a total of **% having already tried it in ****.

assessment of the French relationship with homeopathy France, ****, % Source: ****

However, practice is stagnating

Homeopathy made its way into French habits at the turn of the century, surpassing the **% user mark in ****. Since then, consumption has stagnated.

trend in homeopathic medicine consumption in France France, ****-****, in % Source: ****

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 traditional medicine, but more expensive (***). They are associated with a more "natural" medicine, based on the use of "plants" and "essential oils". The best known are osteopathy, homeopathy and dietetics .

evaluation of French people's perception of alternative medicine France, ****, % Source: ****

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[***] :

In the case of upper respiratory tract infections, a -**% reduction in the use of antibiotics; In the case of musculoskeletal pain, a -**% reduction in the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs; In the case of sleep disorders, anxiety and depression, a -**% reduction in the use of psychotropic drugs.

In addition, homeopathy is most often prescribed by general practitioners as a preventive tool for recurrent health problems.

Complementary care in oncology

* in * oncologists declare an interest in homeopathy as supportive care. It is the *st complementary therapy in supportive care. Among cancer patients who use homeopathy, **% use it, and **% recognize its effect on pain, nausea and vomiting, and **% on fatigue.

evaluation of the value of homeopathy as supportive care in oncology France, ****, % Source: ****

Treatment adapted to the most fragile patients

The elderly and people with multiple medications are the most sensitive to drug side effects. The use of ...

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 by type of homeopathic medicine

There are * types of homeopathic medicines[***] :

Common name: these medicines include common name strains, standard prescription formulas and homeopathic magistral preparations. They can be manufactured by homeopathic laboratories, provided they comply with the marketing standards set out in current regulations. They have no therapeutic indication, dosage or leaflet, so it's up to the health professional to determine them for each patient.

Brand-name or homeopathic specialties: products specifically developed by homeopathic laboratories and marketed under brand names such as Camilia® or Angipax®. They generally contain a combination of several active ingredients. They have a therapeutic indication, a dosage and are accompanied by a leaflet, making them suitable for self-medication.

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 evil with evil" by ingesting a medicine that produces the same symptoms as the disease it aims to cure. However, the active ingredient is diluted many times over to prevent the patient from actually suffering the symptoms.

The manufacturing stages are as follows[***]:

Selection of suitable plants or other extracts; Preparation of the "mother tincture", i.e. the basic substance made up of plants, animal matter or chemicals; Dilution of one drop of the base solution in ** drops of alcoholic water; Dynamize the solution by shaking; Repeat steps *. and *. a dozen times Spray onto granules Place in tube.

Once the solution is ready, it is packaged, usually in the form of granules. After all these dilutions, only an infinitesimal trace of the active substance remains in the final homeopathic product. Before being marketed, the product must meet three conditions:

It must be intended for oral administration; It must have no ...

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 homeopathy, compared to before the reform[***]

Homeopathic products also exist in other forms: drinking solution, drops, tablets, ointments, suppositories and syrups. [***]

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 newsletter reserved for policyholders.

Source: ****

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 Santé and Mon Conseil Pharma tools respectively.

Source: ****

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 / Black fir PPH ; Causticum PPH ; Chrysanthellum americanum PPH ; Damiana PPH ; Moscus PPH.

Requirements for marketing homeopathic medicines

Since ****, European Directive ****/**/EC relating to all medicinal products for human use has defined the prerequisites for marketing homeopathic medicines. It distinguishes between two authorization procedures:

Registration according to mode of administration, degree of dilution and therapeutic indication. Marketing authorization (***).

Before January *, ****, homeopathic medicines were reimbursed by the French social security system, so their price was fixed. Following the delisting, it is now up to laboratories and pharmacies to set the price.

Reimbursement for homeopathic medicines

The decision to no longer reimburse homeopathic medicines by Social Security was taken after an in-depth analysis conducted by the Haute Autorité de Santé (***) in June ****. This decision is based on several important findings:

The lack of seriousness of certain benign conditions, where homeopathy is not necessary. The absence of evidence of efficacy in the conditions studied, ...

6.1 Segmentation

• Boiron
• Weleda
• Laboratoires Lehning
• Cegedim
• Carte Blanche Partenaires
• Juvamine (Urgo Groupe)