Indian drug market grows 8.3% in April led by chronic segment

The Indian pharmaceutical market grew at a much better pace in April led by improved sales of drugs in the chronic segment and recovery of acute segment.

The fading demonetization impact also aided the market growth.

The domestic drug market grew at 8.3 percent in April compared to 5.5 percent growth in the same period last year, according to data from market research firm AIOCD-AWACS.

Sequentially the growth declined. In March IPM grew at 9.6 percent.

The pharma market clocked Rs 9474 crore in April.

Major segments like anti-diabetic and derma have grown by double digit and anti infectives segment has not degrown for the month. Cardio segment has posted single-digit growth for the month, central nervous system (CNS) also growing by single digit.

April saw a volume growth of 3.4 percent & Price Growth at 1.4percent which has been consistently falling down.

Amongst the top 10 companies, Sun Pharma had the highest growth at 11.3 percent followed by Mankind at 11.2 and Lupin at 10.8percent

Glaxo showed signs of recovery, posting monthly growth of 10.1 percent for the month of April 2017.

Indian companies grew by 9.1 percent for the month while the MNC grew by 5.2 percent

Sales of drugs under non-national list of essential medicines (NLEM) category grew at 10.4 percent in March, while NLEM declined 5.3 percent.