- Torrent Pharmaceuticals Ltd said that it will buy dermatology company Curatio Health Care (I) Pvt Ltd for ?2,000 crore. With the acquisition, Torrent Pharma will add a Field Force of 600 Medical representatives and a distribution network of 900 stockists. Curatio has a strong presence in the cosmetic dermatology segment with a portfolio of over 50 brands, marketed in India. The dermatology company's portfolio consists of leading brands such as Tedibar, Atogla, Spoo, B4 Nappi, and Permite, which are ranked amongst top 5 brands in their covered market. Top ten brands of Curatio account for 75% of total revenue. Curatio’s revenue for FY22 came at ?224 crore. With YTD August sales up 25%, Curatio is expected to cross ?275 crore revenue in FY23. Dermatology accounts for 82% of Curatio’s revenue. Within dermatology, cosmetic dermatology is a leading contributor. Over the last decade, cosmetic dermatology as a therapy has delivered an 18% CAGR which is 1.6x of the IPM CAGR. With this deal, Torrent Pharma will enter the league of top 10 players in the dermatology segment and will be the leader in the cosmetic dermatology space. (Mint)
- The Centre has formed a high-level committee to review marketing practices of pharmaceutical companies in the country, according to people familiar with the matter, who added that the committee will also look at recommending legally enforceable measures against firms indulging in malpractices. It was the minister’s idea to create the high-level committee after reports that some pharma companies were spending exorbitant amounts on promotion and publicity of drugs, with the latest allegation around the marketing budget of anti-fever medicine Dolo 650mg that enjoyed record sales during the second wave of Covid-19 pandemic. The five-member committee that was constituted on September 12, is chaired by VK Paul, member (health), NITI Aayog.?Currently, publicity and promotion by pharma companies is supervised under the Uniform Code of Pharmaceutical Marketing Practices (UCPMP), the Indian Medical Council Regulations, 2002, and also by the Central Board of Direct Tax. (Hindustan times)
- In branding its consumer health spinoff, Johnson & Johnson has gone to Scotland for inspiration. The new company will be called Kenvue, J&J revealed Wednesday, explaining that in Scotland, “ken” refers to knowledge, while “vue,” of course, relates to sight. Last November, J&J revealed it would separate its consumer business, forming a new publicly traded company. The move follows similar initiatives by companies such as Merck, Sanofi, Pfizer and GSK, which have separated their consumer health products to focus on the highly profitable pharmaceutical business. J&J also revealed a mantra for Kenvue—realize the extraordinary power of everyday care—which will “guide the company’s actions and long-term aspirations,” it explained. The company went into detail on Kenvue’s logo, saying it represents J&J’s “timelessness.” (Fiercepharma)
- Roche India on Monday announced that it is partnering with Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center (SKCC) – Jefferson Health, Pennsylvania, USA and BioQuest Solutions Pvt. Ltd. and launched an Advanced Certification Program in Molecular Oncology (ACMO) to equip oncologists and pathologists in the country with methods of genomic/personalised medicine. According to a press statement, around 100 healthcare professionals including 70 oncologists and 30 pathologists from across the country will be trained under this programme. “Understanding what makes people different – genetics, environment, lifestyle – is central to shifting the focus of healthcare from treating diseases to delivering the best care for each person throughout their lives. This is the promise of personalized healthcare. Roche is committed to transform cancer care delivery in India by bringing a focus on personalized healthcare to improve patient outcomes. We believe that the advanced certification program in molecular oncology (ACMO) offered by the Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center – Jefferson Health will help equip our Oncologists and Pathologists with the subject matter expertise and methods of precision oncology to bring the desired change to individualized patient care,” Roche Pharma India Managing Director & CEO V. Simpson Emmanuel said in a statement. (Financial Express)
- India faces a “pandemic” of superbugs, the country’s top public health experts have warned, as resistance to common antibiotics has jumped by 10 per cent in just one year. In the fifth edition of its annual report on antimicrobial resistance (AMR), the Indian Council of Medical Research warned that urgent action is needed to prevent a major health crisis caused by the rampant misuse of antibiotics. “The resistance level is increasing to five to ten per cent every year for broad spectrum antimicrobials, which are highly misused,” said Dr Kamini Walia, who led the ICMR’s report. The report, published this week, warned that only 43 per cent of pneumonia infections in India could be treated with first line antibiotics in 2021 – down from 65 per cent in 2016. It added that tuberculosis infections rose by 19 per cent in 2021, partly driven by a rise in multi-drug resistant infections. By 2032, it is predicted that it will not be possible to treat 85 per cent of TB cases in India with common drugs. AMR already kills as many as 1.4 million people worldwide each year, and India is at the forefront of the crisis. According to government statistics, resistant infections already claim the lives of 700,000 Indians annually – and some experts say this is an underestimate, due to poor healthcare surveillance across the country. (The Hindu)
The above is based on my own personal research and understanding and does not reflect my organization's views.
