Senior management executives of Roche, Bayer, AstraZeneca, Pfizer and Novo Nordisk in India signal momentum in product launch and clinical trial activity, belying apprehension of wider cutbacks by foreign firms in the country, though one executive stressed that “tried and tested models” may not work in the largely self-pay market.

Antiviral favipiravir brings stunning gains to Glenmark, almost equal to the entire India sales of some multinationals, as demand surged amid the ferocious second of COVID-19 in the country. Such brand build-up could have taken five to seven years in pre-pandemic times, experts said.

Gilead and Roche ended the year involved in three novel agents apiece, thanks to a combination of internal research and external licensing.

Gilead and Roche ended the year involved in three novel agents apiece, thanks to a combination of internal research and external licensing.