Respiratory drug sales surge in November as air quality continues to worsen

Rising pollution levels in November have led to a sharp jump in respiratory medicine sales, with asthma and allergy treatments seeing strong demand

India’s worsening winter pollution is now showing up clearly in medicine sales. As smog deepens across several regions every November, the demand for drugs used to treat asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), allergies and other breathing-related illnesses has been climbing sharply, The Economic Times reported.

 

This trend has strengthened over the past three years, with pollution-linked ailments pushing more people towards respiratory medicines.

 

Citing data by PharmaTrac, the news report said the respiratory medicines market grew 8 per cent year-on-year in November, higher than the 5 per cent rise seen in November 2024 and the 7 per cent increase in November 2023.

 

 

According to Sheetal Sapale, vice-president (commercial) at PharmaTrac, the month brought a noticeable spike across all major respiratory therapy categories. She explained that the data shows a clear link between worsening air quality and higher medicine usage during winter months.

 

Several states logged double-digit month-on-month sales growth, reinforcing the trend that pollution typically peaks in winter and brings a wave of respiratory issues.

Asthma, COPD medicines see highest growth

 

Sapale noted that treatments for asthma and COPD showed their strongest November growth in three years, pointing to a significant rise in patients seeking relief from breathlessness and long-term respiratory distress.

 

Medicines from the systemic antihistamine category, commonly used for allergies, also grew by 9 per cent, despite the category’s exceptionally high 16 per cent growth last year.

 

Respiratory drug sales typically follow a seasonal arc. Demand starts climbing from June, peaks towards December, and then tapers off again until the middle of the year, the news report said.

 

Within this, the cough and cold segment remains higher during winter and plateaus as temperatures drop.

 

  State-by-state surge led by UP

 

Most states saw strong uplift in anti-asthma and COPD sales:

• Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand: 22 per cent growth

• Punjab and Chandigarh: 17 per cent

• Delhi and Haryana: 9 per cent

 

Sapale added that antihistamine sales also recorded double-digit growth in many regions. She further pointed to trends in northern states, where several children required hospitalisation due to breathing difficulties. Emerging hotspots, she said, are showing disturbing signs of rapid month-on-month growth, which should concern all of us.

Delhi’s air quality shows mild improvement

 

After a prolonged spell of ‘very poor’ and ‘severe’ pollution, Delhi registered a slight improvement on Tuesday. The city’s overall Air Quality Index (AQI) stood at 292, placing it in the ‘poor’ category, as per the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).

 

Out of 39 monitoring stations, 17 still recorded AQI levels above 300.

 

On Monday, Delhi recorded a 24-hour average AQI of 314, with morning readings at 318 -- still in the ‘very poor’ bracket.

What’s driving Delhi’s high pollution levels?

 

Delhi’s Decision Support System for air quality has broken down the sources of local pollution:

• Transport: 17.7 per cent

• Industries (city + nearby areas): 8.5 per cent

• Residential emissions: 4.3 per cent

• Construction activities: 2.4 per cent

• Waste burning: 1.6 per cent