Pharma firms bank on 'mother brands' to bolster new products: Report

A search conducted by Pharmarack showed that brands of any company, labelled under their mother brands, were observed to enjoy greater market share among their peers

Indian pharmaceutical companies are capitalising on their flagship products or "mother brands" in hopes of leveraging their newer products, a new study showed. A report by market research firm Pharmarack, published in the Economic Times on Wednesday, suggested that brands like USV's anti-diabetes drug Glycomet's reputation has established the company as a synonym for diabetic therapy.

A similar pattern has been observed for Glenmark's Telma, a popular brand for treating hypertension and heart failure. The success of these products has further bolstered the company's successful launch of multiple brands, the report said.

USV has become a major name and is among the most sought-after partners for multinational drugmakers in collaboration for innovative therapies. One such example is Vildagliptin from Novartis and Canagliflozin from Janssen in the Indian market, the ET report further noted.

Popularity boosting market share

The brands that are labelled under the Glycomet mother brand have been observed to enjoy a strong market share among peers. The report noted that about 40 per cent of the established or mother brands are from acute and chronic segments. The sub-chronic segments comprise 20 per cent of the number of mother brands.

"Mother brands are analogous to an aggressive player who has put in a lot of effort during the prime years of life but now continues to silently nurture the brand family to collectively cross newer benchmarks of success," said Sheetal Sapale, vice-president, commercial at Pharmarack.

"Mother brand helps in image building, developing trust with the doctors and patients," Sapale added.

Mumbai-based Pharmarack tracks the Indian pharmaceutical industry, with a focus on using technology to boost pharmaceutical businesses in India.