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Changing trends and development in healthcare infrastructure make way for wide range of new antibiotic entrants in the Indian Pharmaceutical market

Hyderabad
Jul 12, 2010

The swiftly transforming economic scenario in India has caused a shift in disease patterns and focus from communicable to non-communicable diseases. Despite this, however, infections remain one of the top five causes of mortality in India. A lack of antibiotic policies in hospitals and increasing pressure on healthcare delivery systems has led to the indiscriminate use of antibiotics. Furthermore, the availability of relatively sophisticated antibiotics, even without a prescription, leads to self-medication.
 
Against this backdrop, there is a need to understand antibiotic usage patterns, particularly high-end antibiotics, within hospitals in India. Antibacterials represent the largest segment of the Indian pharmaceutical market and despite modest growth, it remains the mainstay of the country's pharmaceutical industry. A significant proportion of antibiotic usage occurs in hospitals and therefore tracking the consumption rates of high-end antibiotics within hospitals would provide useful insight into their antibiotic usage patterns. In order to develop a better understanding of the infection patterns as well as the prescription patterns of high-end antibiotics within Indian hospitals, Datamonitor has undertaken the study and analysis of the use of high-end antibiotics in leading hospitals in India.
 
According to a report by Datamonitor titled, ‘High-end antibiotics usage in India,’ the market for high-end antibiotics in Indian hospitals was worth INR33 billion or $685.8m in FY 2010 (Apr’09 – Mar’10), having shown a year-on-year growth of 49.8%. The market is estimated to grow to about INR89 billion or $1,841m by FY 2015 (Apr’14 to Mar’15), posting a compound annual growth rate of 21.8%.
 
The report provides insights into the infection patterns in Indian hospitals in terms of community-acquired and hospital-acquired infections and their incidences within wards and intensive care units. The findings of the report point towards the rapid uptake of newer, premium-priced, broad spectrum antibiotics like fourth generation cephalosporins and carbapenems, which are quickly replacing older antibiotic categories such as third generation cephalosporins and broad spectrum penicillins.
 
As healthcare infrastructure improves in India and well-established hospital chains expand their presence across the country, the market for hospital antibiotics is likely to widen. Although the antibacterial market in India is currently dominated by generics, newer antibiotics are constantly being sought after. The strengthening of the IPR regime in India is likely to support the introduction of new, patent-protected drugs; this coupled with the need for newer, broad-spectrum antibiotics may provide global as well as leading Indian pharmaceutical companies an opportunity to introduce premium-priced, hospital antibiotics in India in the near future.

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contact:
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Source: Datamonitor