Sun Pharmaceutical, Dr Reddy's line up new drugs amid price war

Arm themselves with speciality and complex drugs facing less competition

To stave off pricing pressure in the US, Sun Pharmaceutical and Dr Reddy's Laboratories have built pipelines of drugs that face less competition and command better pricing power. 

Mumbai-based Sun Pharma has already invested $600 million in seven speciality assets in dermatology, ophthalmology, central nervous system and oncology. Two drugs are already in the market, and the lead dermatology drug, MK-3222, should be launched in the first quarter of 2018-19. Speciality drugs are novel drugs for niche therapies needing more funds for development. Also unlike generic drugs in the US, speciality drugs also rack up marketing costs of field forces