India: The outsourcing of drug development and manufacturing to
India and China by US companies is escalating because of the high rate
of patent expirations. The weak US dollar is also causing foreign
investors to pull their money out of India and, in turn, weaken the
rupee. India's larger pharmaceutical companies are reaping the
inadvertent benefits of this effect, as their exports, which make up a
large part of their sales, sell for a lower cost. Some midsized drug
makers, such as Lupin, which is also positioning for larger sales in
Japan, and Pirmal Healthcare, which is a contract manufacturer for
foreign companies such as Pfizer, are able to strengthen their
diversification due to the weak rupee. Some analysts are concerned that
if the Indian government increases interest rates to hold off inflation,
the stronger rupee will cut foreign demand for Indian generics. And
while other analysts believe that the real concern should be about
whether generics manufacturers can transition into developers of new
products, Nitin Agarwal of IDFC-SSKI Securities claims that even if
Indian manufacturers stick to generics, they can grow by 11% from 2006
to 2010.
Source: The Wall Street Journal
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