In the wake of regulatory clampdown and changes in the consumer preference, the sales of cold and cough syrups took a beating in October, marking a trend reversal during the seasonal rise in respiratory illnesses. As per healthcare research firm Pharmarack, the sales of cough syrups stood at Rs 431 crore in October, falling from Rs 437 crore in September. In volume terms, the sales dropped 2.4% from 38.35 million units in September to 37.45 million units in October. This is the first time in three years when the sales of cough syrups – both volume and value – didn’t exceed the September sales.
The dip in sales is on largely account of the heightened safety concerns among consumers after at least 25 children died recently in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan after consuming contaminated cough syrup. Following the incident, various state governments banned the sale of syrups with substandard quality. In early October, the central government issued advisory stating that cough and cold syrups should not be prescribed for children below two years of age.
“We are seeing a cut down in the rampant usage of cough syrups. Since the controversy was around the quality of ingredients used in the contaminated syrups, the doctors have started recommending known brands where the quality is guaranteed,” said Sheetal Sapale, vice president at Pharmarack.
At the same time, the sales of solid solutions (tablets, etc) within the overall cold and cough market have gone up by 1.2% in volume terms – highlighting the consumer preference towards safer treatment options. Though in terms of value, cough syrups (liquids) account for over 75% of the overall cough and cold segment.
The Pharmarack data shows that Eli Lilly’s weight-loss drug Mounjaro has become the highest selling brand with Rs 100 crore sales in October. The sales of Mounjaro was far higher than its competitors like Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy and Rybelsus (see table). Expert said that the rise of Mounjaro in the weight-loss drug segment can be attributed to its availability in both single-dose vials and pre-filled pens (auto-injectors such as KwikPen) as against Rybelsus which is available as oral tablet and Wegovy which is only available in the form of pre-filled injection pen.
To be sure, a single-dose vial is convenient to use and it minimises the safety and hygiene risks associated with pre-filled pens. “Before Mounjaro was launched in India, people were already importing it into India. Its sales are predominantly coming from the affluent/celebrity clusters in Mumbai. These localities also have relatively higher concentration of anti-obesity and weight-loss clinics,” said Sapale.
According to Pharmarack, unlike the previous two years where October sales for Oral Rehydration Solutions (ORS) is lesser than September sales, in October 2025, the sales of ORS was more than September sales. This is largely on account of September and October 2025 being relatively hotter this year as compared to the previous years.