Indian pharma market has touched a new milestone in the calendar year 2011 by crossing the R60,000-crore mark for the 12 months ended December, up 14.9% from the size of R52,000 crore in the year ended December 2010.
The domestic drug market has seen a growth in each of the top ten therapeutic segments in a similar period which includes respiratory, pain management, gynaecological and neurological verticals. However, it is the anti-diabetic segment which has grown by almost 25%, vitamins & nutrients as well as cardiovascular, which registered a growth of 19% and 17% respectively and dermatological vertical, where the growth has exceeded 16%, that contributed the maximum to the overall growth in the domestic drug market.
Within the top 10 pharma firms by market-share, it is Dilip Shangvi-promoted Sun Pharma that led the pack by a huge margin by clocking over 24% growth. Lupin was the second fastest growing firm among the top 10 drug firms by registering 19% growth, according to pharma marketing research firm, AIOCD AWACS. Ranbaxy Labs, Mankind and the largest unlisted firm Alkem experienced a healthy growth of 17% or more in the year gone by. The anti-infective segment which accounts for one sixth of the total pharma market at R10,161 crore has witnessed a sluggish growth of about 11% per annum compared with other therapeutic segments.
?The growth rate in December has come down from the sudden spike of November 2011, but still hovers around a sedate 15.7%, thereby concluding the year 2011 at a growth rate of almost 15%,? said Ameesh Masurekar, director, AIOCD AWACS. He added ?This is at-least 3% more than the estimates made around August-September when the traditional seasonal months delivered a below average growth rate, mainly on account of anti-infective sales not picking up at an expected time. However, the sales of anti-infectives this year peaked late in November and led the phenomenal growth of the month. This growth did not sustain and is now back to the usual 10-11% range in anti-infectives ?.
Among the multinationals in top twenty firms, Pfizer and Sanofi-Aventis, which have a market share of over 2% each, have grown by 26% and 24% respectively in 2011. In the top twenty, it is Dr Reddy?s at 8.5% and Aristo Pharma at 7.8% which have seen the weakest growth rates among their peers. The top player Cipla grew 12.3% and holds a marketshare of 5.24%. The top 10 pharma firms together account for 38% of marketshare.