Rising cost of raw materials a challenge for drug firms: Cipla's Hamied

Companies will have to manage work to match India's National List of Essential Medicines but it will be worth the endeavour, she says

The pharma industry feels that 2023 will be about rising costs, patents and innovation. Samina Hamied, executive vice chairperson of Cipla and vice president of Indian Pharmaceutical Alliance (IPA), spoke to Sohini Das, about industry trends in 2022 and what is ahead.

Here are edited excerpts from an interview.

Covid-19 was a significant part of the domestic business of drug firms. Now that there are no Covid-19 sales how do firms calibrate their India strategies?

It’s about recalibration and re-imagination to a certain extent, because, during Covid the focus was on delivering every drug at every supply chain point that