Pharma market sees 6.1% growth in October despite subdued volumes

NEW DELHI: The Indian pharmaceutical market posted a 6.1% value growth in October, led by therapies including cardiac and dermatology, even as sales volume dipped year-on-year, data from market research firm Pharmarack showed.

"Majority of the therapies are showing a positive growth, though unit growth continues to be a challenge for the current month (November)," said Sheetal Sapale, vice president-commercial, Pharmarack.

The growth is driven price and new introductions while most therapies have seen a drop in volumes, she said.


Amongst the top 10 therapies that contribute to more than 90% of the Indian pharma market, price drove growth in the cardiac segment. The anti-hypertensives, which account for almost 50% of the cardiac segment, is experiencing stagnated volume growth. Lipid-lowering drugs and platelet aggregation inhibitors have shown a relatively higher growth to help boost the cardiac segment.

In the anti-infective segment, antibacterials-which contribute to almost 87%-have brought down the volumes. Antifungals, on the other hand, have grown in volumes.

Antacids, which contribute to almost 40% of the gastro segment, have seen a fall in sales volume whereas laxatives, probiotics, anti-infectives and anti-diarrheal have shown volume growth. "These are the ones which have pushed up the volume growth whereas the antacids are the ones which have pulled down the growth of the segment," Sapale said.

In the anti-diabetes segment, the oral anti-diabetics combinations have shown a negative volume growth while a good amount of growth is seen to be coming through new introductions as many products have lost patents, Pharmarack data suggests.

Vitamins and nutraceuticals, which collectively contribute to 70% of the nutrition market, have shown a fall in volumes, pushing down growth of this segment. Calcium products and others, too, posted a fall but their contribution to the nutritionist category is lesser.