St. John’s Wort: Media Coverage Drives Sales Increase
A report on a popular television news program, along with other media coverage, pushed sales of St. John’s wort products to the top of the list for botanicals. A "20/20" segment aired in June stating that the botanical could be an effective depression treatment triggered immediate sales increases for hypericin—the extract from the flower.
Some trace the beginning of St. John’s wort’s media popularity to the August 1996 issue of The Lancet, which published a review of more than two dozen clinical trials of hypericin in Europe. The article noted that many of the studies had found that the extract of the flower was effective for many patients with mild-to-moderate depression.
From there, the coverage moved to the publications more widely available. In its March-April 1997 issue, Utne Reader dubbed hypericin as "Nature’s own Prozac." Mademoiselle noted that the herb was an alternative therapy for depression in a feature covering depression in the March 1997 issue. Forbes even ran a brief article in the Nov. 18, 1996, issue, noting that European research had found the herb effective for treating depression. Newsweek ran a short piece on the herb as well.
But, it was the "20/20" segment on a Friday night in June that increased curiosity about Hypericum among those suffering from depression.
"We were getting calls from people who had never heard of it. By Monday morning, if you could get St. John’s you were lucky," says Grace Lyn Rich, marketing director for Nature’s Herbs in American Fork, UT. Nature’s Herbs supplies herbal products to GNC stores nationwide as well as health food stores.
Retail giant Wal-Mart has reported increases in sales of St. John’s wort products, says Alex Clarke, a spokeswoman for the Bentonville, AR-based chain. She also credits increased sales to media coverage and noted that Wal-Mart discussed St. John’s wort with "20/20" producers before the program aired in June.
St. John’s wort also receives frequent mention in the consumer health care press. Prevention magazine noted "The Miracle of St. John’s" in a January 1996 article. In February 1996, Better Nutrition called St. John’s wort "effective medicine for depression, infection, and more."
Media coverage has frequently stressed some well-publicized side effects—particularly sexual dysfunction—of anti-depressive drugs such as Prozac (fluoxetine, Eli Lilly and Co.) and Zoloft (sertraline, Pfizer) while noting that St. John’s wort has no such side effects.
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Table: Retail prices of SSRIs and St. John’s wort |
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| Drug/Botanical | Manufacturer | Cost (30-day supply) |
| Paxil (paroxetine) | SmithKline Beecham | $59.25 |
| Prozac (fluoxetine) | Eli Lilly and Co. | $60.30 |
| Zoloft (sertraline) | Pfizer | $54.46 |
| St. John’s wort (hypericin) | Various | $15.00 |
Given the explosion in sales and media coverage of this botanical, physicians must be aware of consumer use of St. John’s wort. Any patients who present with symptoms of depression should be asked if they are already using anything for the problem. Physicians should also note that much of the media coverage of St. John’s wort has stressed the side effects of SSRIs, thus making patients more sensitive to those issues. Patients asking about St. John’s wort may be expressing concerns over what they have heard about side effects for Prozac and other drugs. In addition, patients who don’t have prescription drug coverage through their health insurance could be concerned about the cost of anti-depressive drugs and see St. John’s wort as a lower cost alternative. (See table above.)
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