During the last two years beginning from June 2002 to June 2004 the Indian pharmaceutical market had around 3,900 new brand introductions. According to Org-Ims retail audit new pharmaceutical products worth Rs 1580 crore have been launched in the country during this period.

These products currently contribute an average of 8 per cent to the value of the entire retail market for ethical pharmaceutical drugs across the Indian sub-continent, a report released by ORG-IMS stated.

In specific categories the contribution of new products assumes a sizeable proportion. Blood products and vaccines have registered a contribution of 17 per cent from new products in value terms.

The categories that saw the maximum number of new product introductions were Anti-infectives (559), Gastro-intestinals (550) and Pain/Analgesics (495).

Companies like Cipla, Micro, Lupin and Intas have launched the maximum number of new products over the last two years. Other Indian pharmaceutical players too have benefited from this trend. Sun pharma and Aristo for instance, have garnered more than Rs 10 million per new product, the release says.

Some companies appear to have chosen a more aggressive new product launch strategy than others. Companies like Mankind pharma now earns almost a fourth of its turnover from brands launched in the last two years.