PublishedbyTheResourceCentre,anIPANAssociateDisclaimer:Thematerialisbaseduponinformationweconsiderreliableanditisupdatedtothebestofourability,butwedonotrepresentthatitisaccurateorcomplete,anditshouldnotberelieduponassuch.Forprivatecirculationonly1PHARMADECEMBER,2002REVIEWPharmasalesfallDomesticsalesofpharmaceuticalproductsshowedaslowdowninOctoberthisyear,registeringa2.6percentgrowthagainst4.6percentinSeptemberand3.6percentinAugust.However,growthinthetenmonthsendingOctober31,2002,wasninepercent,accordingtomarketresearchfirmACNielsenORG-MARG.Amongthepharmasegments,anti-infectiveshaveperformedworst,followedbyanti-histaminesandanalgesics.Salesofanti-infectiveformulationsregisteredanegativegrowthof5.8percentinOctoberandroseby4.6percentintheten-monthperiodendingOctober.Amongindividualmanufacturers,AventisPharmareportedthegreatestfall,withsalesvaluesactuallyreportinga12percentdecrease,whileGlaxoSmithKlinesalesfellbyfourpercent.Againstthis,DrReddy’sLaboratoriesregistereda15percentincreaseinsales,SunPharmaa12percentriseandAbbottIndiaandNicholasPiramalninepercentandeightpercent,respectively.Overthe10-monthperiod,ZydusCadilla(whichhashadamereonepercentincreaseinsalesinthemonthofOctober)hasreporteda21percentrise,DrReddy’sLaboratories20percentandSunPharma19percent.Ciplahashada15percentgrowth,followedcloselybyAlkemLabswith14percent.Ranbaxysalesgrewby10percentandNicholasPiramal’sbyninepercent.GlaxoSmithKlinereportedatwopercentdropinsalesinthetenmonthsendedOctober2002.Drugpriceslowerby0.5percentAveragedrugpricingislowerby0.5percenttodaythanitwasinJanuary2002.ThisisthefindingofmarketresearchersORG-MARG.Pricesofmedicaldrugshavesloweddownoverthepasttwoyears�fromanaveragepriceriseof2.3percentin2000,priceshaverisenanaverage0.9percentin2001.PublishedbyTheResourceCentre,anIPANAssociateDisclaimer:Thematerialisbaseduponinformationweconsiderreliableanditisupdatedtothebestofourability,butwedonotrepresentthatitisaccurateorcomplete,anditshouldnotberelieduponassuch.Forprivatecirculationonly2Alongside,theshareofnewproductsinthetotalmarketforpharmaproductsalsofell�fromaccountingfor2.4percentofthetotalmarketin2001to1.4percentinthefirsttenmonthsof2002.IPAasksgovernmenttolettripstalksfalterTheIndianPharmaceuticalAlliance(IPA),whichrepresentsthedomesticpharmaceuticalindustry,haspetitionedthegovernmenttolettheWorldTradeOrganisation(WTO)negotiationsonTRIPsandaccesstomedicalformulationsfailratherthanchangeitsstandonproductpatents.Indiahasallowedprocesspatentingtodate,buthadagreedinprincipletoswitchtoproductpatentingduringtheearlierWTOnegotiations.IPAisopposedtoatotalchangeover,onthegroundsthatthiswouldputanendtotherelativelycheapermanufacturingcostsofseveraldrugssoldinIndia.ThelowermanufacturingcostalsogivesIPAmembersanedgeovermultinationalcompaniesinexportingtootherdevelopingcountries.Clauses30and31oftheTRIPsagreementallowsforexceptionstotheproductpatentregime,whichIndiahassofarbeenexploiting.WhiletheUSAandsomeotherEuropeancountrieshavebeenurginganarrowerinterpretationoftheseclauses,IPAhasurgedthegovernmenttosticktoitsinsistenceonabroaderconstrual.Meanwhile,thegovernmenthasreleasedtheDraftPatentRules,whichhavecomeunderattackfrombothdomesticandmultinationaldrugmanufacturers.WhiletheIndiancompanieshavecriticisedtherulesforlimitingthescopeofpublicinterestinterventions,suchaslegalpresentations,multinationa...
