The Third Wave - What Is Planned?

It’s here. The highly infectious omicron variant of the coronavirus is upon us. There is a need for new vaccines and therapeutics to halt the surge, which throws up a new business opportunity for the indian pharma industry. What is planned?

- Neetu Chandra Sharma

RISING DEMAND

The very mutant nature of the virus makes it a big opportunity for Indian pharma companies

1 Omicron has triggered the third wave, new vaccines for mutant variants need of the hour

2 Infections among vaccinated, previously infected rising, demand for boosters high

3 Several million vaccines are needed for teenagers (15-18 years)

4 Child vaccinations long-awaited, need for Covid-19 vaccine for kids younger than 12

5 Surplus availability of Sputnik V and Covishield, companies to target unvaccinated population

6 Once domestic demand is satisfied, companies to look at exports in uncovered countries

7 Molnupiravir is a lucrative business opportunity for drug makers; used for the treatment of mild to moderate Covid-19

THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC is not dying down anytime soon. That much is clear from the electric pace of the spread of the Omicron variant of the SARS CoV2 virus. Aside from the tragedy of it all, this has also thrown open an opportunity for revenue growth for the Indian pharma industry. According to an analysis by Motilal Oswal, the share of Covid-19-related therapies stood at 44 per cent of the total Indian pharma market’s sales at the peak of the second wave in April-May 2021. That’s a lot of money, considering the size of the Indian pharma market was $42 billion (more than ₹3 lakh crore) in 2021, according to India’s Economic Survey 2021.