Early COVID-19 therapies including Gilead’s remdesivir, China-plus procurement policies, vaccine partnerships and a dovish stance by the central bank led to returns on India biotech and healthcare funds outperforming global returns. Meanwhile, funding for e-pharmacies and online consulting firms gathered pace.

Indian firms debut empagliflozin copies ahead of expected patent expiry for diabetes blockbuster Jardiance in the country. Spotlight now on how swiftly Boehringer Ingelheim can fend off the entrants and whether the local challenge goes well beyond “inspiration” from the goings-on in the case of another SGLT2 inhibitor dapagliflozin.

With Phase III data showing non-inferiority to colistin, as well as nephrotoxicity superiority, Entasis thinks sulbactam/durlobactam will provide a new standard of care and succeed where Achaogen’s Zemdri failed.

Top executives at leading local and foreign drug firms in India by and large earned more in 2020-21, while differentials in CEO to median employee remuneration remained stark. With increasing scrutiny by shareholders and lawmakers, experts suggest that pharma should be more mindful of balancing “adequate” C-suite compensation and glaring inequalities.