The Union Housing and Urban Affairs Minister's announcement of four 'Namo Cities' aims to decentralise development and decongest Delhi, but experts warn that the initiative may face execution challenges similar to previous urbanisation plans due to inadequate coordination among NCR states.
'Hospitals sometimes compel patients to purchase medicines only from pharmacies owned by or attached to the hospital, refuse to provide prescriptions, withhold prescriptions, or send prescriptions directly to the hospital pharmacy without patient consent.'
'While higher prices may create some financial burden for patients and caregivers in the short term, uninterrupted access to treatment remains the greater priority.'
Over the past year, the sale of injectable GLP-1 agonists (used to treat type 2 diabetes and obesity) such as Mounjaro, Wegovy and Ozempic have surged a whopping 218 per cent.
Private hospitals accounted for 30.8 per cent of current health expenditure in FY23, while pharmaceuticals and medical goods contributed more than 21 per cent, underlining continued dependence on private healthcare and medicine spending.
While the West Asia conflict has led to a drop in patient footfalls, hospitals are seeing higher realisations as international patients increasingly travel for complex, high-end procedures.
Scientists stress there is currently no evidence of human infections, or community spread linked to the virus.
'The innovators have been able to more or less stay where they are, in terms of revenue even as the generics are seeing exponential growth due to their affordability.'
The ongoing West Asia conflict is expected to severely impact the supply of affordable housing in India, as rising input costs further erode already thin developer margins. Fluctuations in crude oil and gas prices, coupled with higher freight costs, are driving up prices of essential construction materials like cement and steel, making new projects increasingly unviable for developers.
India's pharmaceutical industry is experiencing increased bulk drug prices, particularly for APIs from China, following the escalation of the West Asia crisis in March. While current inventories provide a temporary buffer, concerns are mounting over the availability of key solvents and feedstocks, potentially leading to manufacturing disruptions and shortages in specific drug categories.
Dr Reddy's Laboratories has received approval from Health Canada to sell a generic version of the diabetes drug semaglutide, making it the first company to get market authorisation for a generic semaglutide injection in Canada and the first in a G7 country.
Indian realty developers are contemplating price increases for ongoing and upcoming projects to offset margin pressures caused by rising input costs and supply chain disruptions, exacerbated by the West Asia conflict. Input and labour costs have surged by 5-12%, directly impacting developer margins, especially for under-construction projects.
Ongoing geopolitical tensions in West Asia have slowed deal momentum in Dubai's luxury residential market, but Indian high-net-worth individuals (HNIs) are not exiting their marquee assets, with any 'discounted' resale deals attributed to investor liquidity stress rather than geopolitical flight.
The inauguration of Noida International Airport (NIA) is set to significantly increase property values in micro-markets along the Yamuna Expressway, with projections indicating a 28 per cent rise for plots and 22 per cent for apartments over the next two years, according to Colliers.
Inspections conducted across 49 entities including pharmacies, wholesalers, and clinics to detect violations and misleading marketing practices.
At the heart of this debate is Section 3(d) of the Patents Act, a safeguard designed to prevent drugmakers from extending monopoly protection through trivial modifications to existing medicines.
Escalating geopolitical tensions in West Asia are prompting investors with exposure to Dubai's real estate market to reassess their portfolios. And, in this rejig, India is emerging as a stable destination for capital investment and long-term growth.
While the introduction of branded generics is likely to accelerate volumes for GLP-1 agonists, value growth may moderate because of price erosion.
The outreach comes amid a drop in Indian student enrolments in management programmes at American universities last year, following changes to US student visa policies.
'Any promotional activity carried out under the pretext of disease awareness, influencer engagement, corporate campaigns, or similar activities that create brand recall/product visibility of the prescription shall also be treated as violations.'
