Sales of oral electrolytes and sunscreens are also seeing a surge, according to market researcher Pharmarack.
Industry data shows sales of antihypertensive drugs have risen to ₹1,134 crore in April from ₹1,129 crore in March and ₹1,119 crore in February.
It recorded ₹13,468 crore in Moving Annual Turnover (MAT) in the 12 months through April 2024.
Likewise, sales of lipid-lowering drugs rose from ₹520 crore in February to ₹541 crore in April. Hot and humid weather in various parts of the country is pushing sales of platelet aggregation inhibitors, which work in different places of the clotting cascade and prevent platelet adhesion. Sales of such drugs increased from ₹112 crore in February to ₹114 crore in April.
“Recent heatwave episodes across the Indian landscape may have led to discomfort in the vulnerable population causing a surge in demand for chronic therapies like antihypertensives, lipid-lowering drugs, and platelet aggregation inhibitors,” Sheetal Sapale, vice president, commercial, Pharmarack told ET.Meanwhile, rising temperatures and the need for hydration management is triggering a twofold increase in oral electrolyte consumption this year.
“The concerted efforts of pharmaceutical companies in conducting awareness campaigns have yielded promising results, fostering a proactive approach towards health consciousness among the populace. This push has resulted in a significant double-fold multiplication in oral electrolytes consumption over the past five years, particularly in response to rising temperatures and the need for hydration management,” Sapale said.
With prevailing high temperatures, the cosmo derma segment also saw an uptick in both value and unit consumption. In April, buoyed by escalating skincare preferences among consumers, segments such as emollients, protectives, and sunscreens experienced steady growth, as per Pharmarack.
Overall, in April, the Indian Pharmaceutical Market (IPM) showed robust growth, reaching a notable value of ₹16,413 crore, marking a 9.2% increase in value compared to a year earlier. On a MAT basis, the IPM demonstrated its resilience, reaching ₹1,99,288 crore with a value growth of 7.3%.
