Lice Treatment Market - Growth, Trends, COVID-19 Impact, and Forecasts (2022 - 2027)

Lice Treatment Market - Growth, Trends, COVID-19 Impact, and Forecasts (2022 - 2027)

The global lice treatment market is estimated to be USD 937.44 million in 2021. It is expected to reach USD 1,329.47 million by 2027, registering a CAGR of 6.24 % over the forecast period (2022-2027).

The emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic is an unprecedented health concern and has significantly impacted the market growth. During the Covid-19 pandemic, the dispensing of ivermectin has increased in retail pharmacies, and there has been a surge in patients for lice treatment in various clinics in the United States. For instance, According to the article published by the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in August 2021 titled “Rapid Increase in Ivermectin Prescriptions and Reports of Severe Illness Associated with Use of Products Containing Ivermectin to Prevent or Treat COVID-19”, ivermectin dispensing from outpatient retail pharmacies in the United States during the COVID-19 increased from an average of 3,600 prescriptions per week at the pre-pandemic time (March 2019–March 2020) to a peak of 39,000 prescriptions in the week ending on January 8, 2021. Furthermore, the article published in July 2020 titled “Lice Clinics of America – Bakersfield Report Lice Activity Increase During Pandemic” reported that Lice Clinics of America, Bakersfield, have experienced an increase in lice treatments of 37% from April to May 2020, amid the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, in October 2021, the Lice Clinics of America announced that the company had reached a total of 750,000 successful head lice treatments, and the milestone was achieved after the second year of the COVID-19 pandemic. Thus, although COVID-19 has led to a shortage in essentials and created some hindrances, lice treatment has played an important role during COVID-19. Thus, the COVID-19 pandemic has positively impacted the growth of the studied market, and it is expected to boost the market's growth over the forecast period.

The market's growth can be attributed to the factors such as the increasing prevalence of lice infestation and the easy availability of lice treatment products. For instance, the Pediculosis chapter updated in February 2022 in National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) states that Pediculosis or louse infestation affects hundreds of millions of people each year globally, and it has been reported in all countries and within all socioeconomic classes.

Additionally, a study published in May 2021 titled “Head Lice at School: Traditional Medicine and Community Engagement” reported that The prevalence of head lice in poor rural communities and urban slums is estimated to be between 28% and 43% in Brazil, respectively. Also, the study suggests that the prevalence at different schools in Norway ranged from 0% to 7.14%, although 36.43% of households that participated in the study had previously experienced a head lice infestation. Thus, the prevalence indicates the increasing demand for lice treatment. Moreover, as per the World Population Prospects 2022, in 2021, 134 million babies were born worldwide. In the future, the number of newborns is expected to slightly increase to reach 138 million annually between 2040 and 2045. This huge number of people who are prone to lice infestation indicates the growing prevalence of lice infestation, thereby driving the market growth.

However, lack of awareness and less healthcare expenditure in developing countries is a major factor hindering the growth of the market studied.

Key Market TrendsPermethrin Segment is Expected to Hold a Major Share in the Market

The Permethrin segment is expected to hold a major share in the market. Permethrin treats scabies in adults and children two months of age and older. Over-the-counter permethrin is used to treat lice (small insects that attach themselves to the skin on the head) in adults and children two months of age and older. Permethrin is in a class of medications called scabicides and pediculicides. It works by killing lice and mites.

According to the study published in February 2021 titled ''Study on Efficacy of 1% Permethrin Shampoo and Some Traditional Physical Treatment for Head Lice Infestation", the infested people were treated with 1% permethrin shampoo, twice at a 1-week interval and other recommended therapeutic categories. 1% permethrin shampoo had high treatment success. It was estimated to be 82.00%. Such data displays the significant use of permethrin in lice treatment.

Therefore, the demand for permethrin is expected to increase, which will significantly drive the overall target market during the study period.

North America Dominates the Market and is Expected to do Same in the Forecast Period

North America is expected to dominate the overall lice treatment market throughout the forecast period. The largest share is mainly due to the presence of a larger infestation pool and an increasing children population.

For instance, the United States Census Bureau, in its 2020 census, showed that the number of children under the age of 18 years was 73.1 million in 2020. The larger infestation pool and increasing children population are attributing factors to the growth of the market in the United States.

In addition, increasing product approvals is also contributing to market growth. For instance, in July 2020, the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the use of Xeglyze, a drug used to treat head lice in patients six months of age and older. The FDA approved the drug after a clinical trial studying the efficacy of the drug in the prevention of head lice infestation. The study showed that About 80% of patients treated with Xeglyzewere free of live head lice.

Thus, due to the above-mentioned developments, the market is expected to witness significant growth over the forecast period.

Competitive Landscape

The lice treatment market is moderately competitive. A few of the crucial approaches followed by players functioning in the market were product advancement, invention, acquisitions, and mergers. Some of the companies which are currently dominating the market are Alliance Pharmaceuticals Ltd., Prestige Consumer Healthcare Inc., GlaxoSmithKline plc, Oystershell Consumer Health, Inc., and Perrigo Company plc.

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