Nearly 70 million Indians live with some form of rare genetic disease. But for global drug makers, the country isn’t a priority. Unless local firms step up their R&D efforts, the government remedies its lack of policy preparedness, and obscene drug prices are tamed, this population will oscillate between helplessness and despair.
Nearly 70 million Indians live with some form of rare genetic disease. But for global drug makers, the country isn’t a priority. Unless local firms step up their R&D efforts, the government remedies its lack of policy preparedness, and obscene drug prices are tamed, this population will oscillate between helplessness and despair.
After multiple unsuccessful attempts to break into the critical north Indian market, Manipal is placing a seemingly expensive bet on Medanta. Manipal’s investors are nearing their exit windows, increasing the pressure on the company to deliver returns. Other prominent hospital chains, including NH and HCG, have taken the same route in an industry struggling for growth.
Mosquirix (RTS,S), GSK’s vaccine developed with a clutch of health and financial-aid agencies, is a crucial advance towards partial elimination of the parasite-borne disease. A complete win may still be elusive.
From profiling gut microbiota to recommending nutritional diets for patients to restore gut dysbiosis, Leucine Rich Bio aims to crack open an emerging market. It claims its approach offers a more sustainable remedy to all manner of diseases than popping pills.
Unlike PE funds that invest in established companies, Asia Healthcare Holdings buys stakes in nascent healthcare companies. With the character of a holding company and the aggression of a growth-hungry PE fund, AHH probably has the answer to the PE industry’s age-old debate over ‘buy vs. build’.
The other companies under the scanner include Dr. Reddy’s, Glenmark, Lupin, Wockhardt, and Sun Pharma’s unit in the US, Taro. If found guilty, the penalties may range from a few million to hundreds of millions of dollars. But there are many precedents of out-0f-court settlements.
Last year, the company launched a product that offers to lower the cost of insurance by incentivising healthy habits via a tie-up with fitness-tracker and health-coaching platform GOQii. Globally, this is a hot new idea. But high premium and the psychology of the typical insurance buyer could hamstring its growth in India.
With roughly 850,000 unorganised pharmacies that form over 90% of the retail pharma market, Indians buy medicines from neighbourhood stores which care a hoot about compliance. Should we just settle for convenience over compliance?
ET Prime has learnt that J&J, already struggling with multiple controversies, is probing if its subsidiary Janssen India pushed the painkiller brand via doctors not authorised to prescribe such drugs. If true, it could trigger a wider examination of the company's business practices in India. Meanwhile, Janssen India's CEO has left the company.
Across the pharma industry, R&D productivity is declining. Novartis is harnessing data from internal systems and applying advanced, predictive analytics to develop medicines, and to design, execute, and monitor clinical trials. With this, India is emerging as a key R&D hub for the global pharma giant.
