Respiratory drug sales surge as pollution, monsoon drive higher demand

Sales in the respiratory market reached Rs 1,638 crore in November 2024, up from Rs 1,522 crore recorded in October 2024, amid a surge in pollution-related illnesses last month

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Sales of respiratory drugs in India, which had dropped to Rs 989 crore in June, saw a sharp turnaround and jumped by 66 per cent to hit Rs 1638 crore in November -- a five-month period marked by monsoon and onset of winter when seasonal diseases catch hold of people.

 

Increased demand for asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and cough and cold subgroups drove the demand for drugs and also a surge in OPD admissions too, according to medical experts and industry insiders.

 

In November, for example, respiratory drug sales grew by 7.6 per cent over October when it was Rs 1522 crore. In September it was Rs 1433 crore against Rs 1301 crore in August. While in July it was Rs 1152 crore.

 

The sales were witnessing a steady drop since the beginning of this year and the trend continued till June 2024 when it touched Rs 989 crore from the high of Rs 1591 crore in January.

 

Then the onset of monsoon led the surge July onwards, according to data from market research firm Pharmarack.

 

The higher numbers in November 2024 come as the month also saw a rise in pollution related respiratory illnesses.

 

Commenting on the trend, Sheetal Sapale, VP Commercial Pharmarack said the respiratory category is showing the normal seasonal trend, with anti-asthma, and cough and cold being the major components of this segment.

 

“The uptake peaks from monsoon season and gradually subsides post winters. The trend may be different in different geographies based on the severity of monsoon and winter season,” she added. 

 

Among the respiratory segment, which contributes around 8 per cent to overall Indian Pharma Market (IPM) revenue, subgroups such as anti-asthma and COPD drugs, and cough and cold drugs drove the overall sales growth with a 5 per cent and 11.3 per cent rise in sales in November 2024.  

 

Explaining this trend, Sandeep Nayar, Principal Director and HOD, Chest and Respiratory Diseases at BLK-Max Super Speciality Hospital said that there has been an increase in number as well as severity of respiratory cases over the past few days due to pollution as well as change in season

 

“Many patients start taking medicines on their own to get symptomatic relief. If their symptoms worsen, they visit physicians who would prescribe medicines which would also include anti-allergic and cough and cold medicines,” Nayar added. 

 

According to various reports, major hospitals across north India had witnessed an almost 50 per cent rise in respiratory and pulmonary outpatient department (OPD) patients visits.

 

Vikas Mittal, Director-Pulmonologist at the CK Birla Hospital, Delhi added that for individuals with pre-existing respiratory conditions like COPD and asthma, the combination of high pollution levels and colder weather triggered flare-ups and exacerbations.

 

“This required more medical interventions and medication adjustments to manage the increased severity of symptoms,” Mittal said.