Toxic air in the National Capital Region (NCR), which includes Delhi, and in many other cities and towns of the country, is driving a surge in sales of respiratory drugs, including inhalers and anti-asthma medicines.
Air laden with toxins, a prevalent feature during winter across much of the country, causes respiratory distress and long-term exposure can lead to lung and cardiovascular diseases. The WHO’s International Agency for Research on Cancer has even classified outdoor pollution as a carcinogen.
Respiratory drug sales posted a 14.7 percent growth in October, outstripping the overall Indian pharmaceutical market (IPM) growth of 9.5 percent, according to market research firm Pharmarack.
The respiratory segment, valued at Rs 1,789.3 crore for the month and accounting for 8.4 percent of the total market, was heavily driven by heightened demand for anti-asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) medications, the Pharmarack report said.
Strong demand gave the segment significant pricing power, leading to a 7.7 percent price-led growth across the IPM.
The main reason was the direct link between seasonal health crises and air quality. Seasonal factors, especially the post-Diwali air pollution spike, aggravated respiratory distress cases, translating into higher prescription volumes for medication, the report said.
"The respiratory segment's strong performance is directly linked to the onset of the pollution and winter season, which typically begins around October and November and continues through the colder months," said a pharma industry analyst who didn't want to be named.
The respiratory segment alone had sales of Rs 18,520 crore for the year ended October 2025. The respiratory segment was one of the top contributing therapy areas to IPM, with a 5-year compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of 9 percent.
Cipla jumps to second in IPM in October
Cipla, a market leader in the respiratory segment, advanced to the second position from third, replacing Abbott in October, propelled primarily by its respiratory segment.
The company reported a 12.5 percent value growth in October, which was well above the market and attributed to its respiratory segment. Cipla has one-fourth market share in the respiratory segment.
Its anti-asthma and COPD products such as levosalbutamol and ipratropium, budesonide and salbutamol, drove the sales.
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