A resurgence of colds and flu has combined with Covid-19 to boost sales of over-the-counter medicines, providing a boost for consumer health groups that produce remedies for coughing and sneezing populations.
“We’ve seen a strong and prolonged cold and flu season this year, which has been widespread,” said Tobias Hestler, chief financial officer at Haleon, the FTSE 100 consumer health company spun out this year from drugmaker GSK.
The company, one of the world’s largest makers of over-the-counter medicines, said sales of its respiratory treatments were up 30 per cent year on year in the third quarter, “driven by both increased consumption from cold and flu incidence . . . as well as Covid symptoms”, even ahead of the winter.