Japan's battle for hair loss solutions heats up

March  2005

TOKYO, (AFP) -

A corporate battle to provide hair loss solutions in Japan heated up with the nation's top cosmetics maker Shiseido launching a new tonic to rival the market leader.

Shiseido hopes Adenogen hair tonic for men, using hair growth stimulant adenosine, will knock Taisho Pharmaceutical and its RiUP product off the top shelf.

"With the launch of this product we aim to win the top market share," a Shiseido spokesman said. "We want to increase our share to 20 percent."

Shiseido currently holds 10 percent of the Japanese market.

The company spokesman said Adenogen is categorized as "a quasi drug" unlike top-selling RiUP, which is designated as a pharmaceutical product containing minoxidil developed by US drugmaker Upjohn, now Pfizer.

Taisho started selling RiUP in 1999, when it took the market leader position off Shiseido, and the firm now controls about 30 percent of the Japanese market for hair growth products, a Taisho spokesman said.

Taisho values the entire market at 55 billion yen (525 million dollars) in terms of shipments by manufacturers last year.

Taisho's RiUP Lady, designed for women, will hit the shelves on April 1.

"The market for hair growth products for women in Japan is small; it is only approximately three billion yen. However, Taisho is aiming to expand this market by reaching out to potential customers," it said in a statement.

The Shiseido spokesman valued the overall Japanese market at about 35 billion yen in terms of store sales for the year to March 2004.