AstraZeneca's cancer drug tops list of new brands launched in 2024

Five of top 20 drug introductions target cancer, reflecting its rising incidence in India

With the rising incidence of cancer in India, AstraZeneca India’s breast cancer medicine trastuzumab deruxtecan (sold under the brand name Enhertu) emerged as the highest-selling new drug brand launched in the domestic market over the past 12 months.

 

According to IQVIA data as of MAT December 2024, the drug generated sales of ₹57.9 crore. MAT refers to the moving annual turnover or the last 12 months’ turnover. IQVIA reported that AstraZeneca had the highest sales (among new introductions) at ₹57.9 crore from a single brand, Enhertu, followed by Sun Pharmaceutical Industries with ₹49.9 crore from 18 new introduction brands, while Dr Reddy’s Laboratories ranked third with ₹44.9 crore from 51 new introduction brands.

 

 

AstraZeneca did not respond to an email seeking details on plans regarding competitive pricing. Enhertu currently costs around ₹1.6 lakh per 100-milligram injection, according to online pharmacy websites.

 

The Indian market saw 3,151 new brands launched over the past 12 months, or the 2024 calendar year, generating a total revenue of ₹1,096.9 crore. Together, these new launches contributed 0.5 per cent to the Indian Pharmaceutical Market (IPM) and 6.8 per cent to IPM growth for MAT December 2024.

 

The IPM turnover stands at ₹2.2-2.3 trillion and is growing at roughly 8 per cent. 

 

New brand launches have been driving IPM growth, said a pharmaceutical industry veteran who previously headed the Indian arm of a multinational company. “If you look at the trends, new introductions have consistently contributed 2.5-3 per cent to the overall growth of the IPM for the past several quarters. However, price growth has been the biggest contributor, while volumes have largely remained stagnant,” he said.

 

Five of the top 20 new introductions in the IPM in 2024 were cancer drugs, reflecting the increasing cancer burden in India. The country has a crude incidence rate of 100.4 cancer cases per 100,000 people. Around one in nine Indians is expected to receive a cancer diagnosis during their lifetime. Cancer incidence is projected to rise by 12.8 per cent by 2025 compared to 2020.

 

According to the Indian Council of Medical Research-National Centre for Disease Informatics and Research, India’s projected cancer burden is expected to increase from 26.7 million disability-adjusted life years (adjusted for mortality to incidence) in 2021 to 29.8 million in 2025.

 

Dr Anil Heroor, head of department and senior consultant, surgical oncology, Fortis Hospital, Mulund and Kalyan, said, “Cancer incidence is rising globally and in India, with over 1.3 million cases reported in the country in 2023 alone. Among these, breast cancer accounts for over 150,000 cases. Around 67 per cent of these patients are between 32 and 59 years old, making the cancer-affected population in India relatively younger compared to Western countries.”

 

Among non-communicable diseases, cardiovascular disease has the highest mortality rate (63.3 per cent), followed by cancer (18.1 per cent).

 

In 2024, 94 cancer drug brands were launched, generating ₹149.8 crore in turnover, while 505 vitamin-mineral-nutrient brands accounted for ₹126 crore and 394 gastrointestinal brands contributed ₹166.4 crore.

 

Unfortunately, a large portion of India’s cancer-affected population falls within the productive age group, Heroor said.

 

“However, many patients are not in the high-income bracket, and insurance penetration remains limited. Newer breast cancer drugs, particularly those that are imported, are often expensive, making generic alternatives a critical option,” he said, adding that generic versions of these drugs are highly beneficial, as breast cancer survival rates have improved over the decades due to the availability of such therapies.

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