Business

Surge in viral infections drive up pharmaceutical sales

Cipla, Mankind, Macleods, Aristo, and Glenmark grew by more than 20% in March 2023.

• By Newsdesk
• New Delhi
• Apr 10, 2023

Business

According to market research firm AWACS, India's pharmaceutical market grew 11% year on year in the fourth quarter ended March, FY23, driven primarily by strong sales of anti-infective and pain medications as viral infections climbed.

The recent surge in flu, viral infections, and H3N2 cases across the country has resulted in a 38% increase in sales of respiratory medications in February. The value of sales of drugs for respiratory illnesses increased from Rs 39.7 crore in February 2022 to Rs 54.7 crore in February this year, according to data from AIOCD-AWACS, the pharmaceutical market-research company of the All India Organisation of Chemists and Druggists (AIOCD).

Cough syrups and inhalers drove value and volume growth of more than 50% in the respiratory medicines segment. Paracetamol and other analgesics also joined the group, with a 20% value and 13% volume increase. In FY23, the overall market increased by 9.3% to 1.85 lakh crore. Volume growth was 1.8% during the same time period.

While Augmentin (amoxycillin and clavulanic acid) from GSK maintained its lead. Cipla, Mankind, Macleods, Aristo, and Glenmark grew by more than 20% in March 2023, owing to their strong anti-infective and respiratory portfolios.