Anti-infective, gastro and respiratory drugs saw double digit growth this year

New Delhi: Demand for anti-infective, gastro-intestinal and respiratory drugs grew by double digits in 2024 compared with the previous year at 17.2%, 10.7% and 19.2%, according to the Indian Pharma Industry Performance report by Pharmarack, a market research firm.

Demand has been stagnant over 2022 and 2022 but the overall pharma industry growth 8.8% in 2024 with all therapies showing a positive growth.

Among other categories, drugs associated with cardiac therapy saw sales remain stagnant in sync with the long-term trend. Sale of drugs associated with pain and analgesics (painkillers) therapy saw a seasonal monsoon uptick in the last two month. Sale of drugs associated with gynaecological therapy derma therapy and neuro and central nervous system for the last one year has been steady.

Augmentin, an antibiotic manufactured by GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), was the top selling drug, according to this report. 

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"Majority of the therapy value trend is in sync with the long-term trend line for the therapy. However, each therapy has a few companies that have substantially driven the growth for the therapy. For the month of June 2024 majority of the top players have shown an encouraging value growth," said Sheetal Sapale, vice-president (commercial) at Pharmarack.

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Moving annual turnover rises by 7.6% for pharmaceutical market

While volumes in the domestic market fell by 0.1%, the moving annual turnover (MAT), which measures the turnover for the previous 12 months, increased by 7.6% for the Indian pharmaceutical market between July 2023 and June 2024, resulting in a total turnover of almost ₹2 trillion.

Leading treatments like cardiac, anti-infectives, and gastrointestinal showed comparatively strong volume growth in their MATs, with rates of 9.7%, 8.7%, and 8.4%, respectively. Taken together, the three categories account for about 38% of the Indian pharma market.