Sugar rush? Anti-diabetic drug sales post 13% annual growth

Ahmedabad: Are diabetes cases rising in Gujarat, or are drug sales climbing faster? Possibly both. Data from Pharmarack shows that the moving annual total (MAT) of anti-diabetic drugs in Gujarat touched Rs 1,196 crore in March 2026, marking a 25% rise over two years from Rs 962 crore in March 2024.While annual growth in the sales of diabetes medicines averages around 13%, the January-March 2026 quarter recorded a sharper year-on-year jump of 20%-22% compared to the same period in earlier years. The data, based on a 25-month analysis of Gujarat's drug sales across major therapy groups, indicates that the anti-diabetic segment logged monthly sales of Rs 83 crore to Rs 109 crore during this five-month period. Overall growth in Gujarat has also outpaced the national average. Pharmacists and experts attribute the rise in sales not only to higher incidence and better detection but also to growing demand for GLP-1 therapies. Sheetal Sapale, vice-president (commercial), Pharmarack, said, "In value terms, GLP-1 is still small at around Rs 1,600 crore compared to the anti-diabetes market of about Rs 23,000 crore. The key difference is that the GLP-1 market is expanding faster due to premium pricing. In absolute volumes, it remains significantly smaller." "The spike in sales is also partly driven by the widening range of anti-diabetic drugs now available in India, aiding better disease management. The increasing use of combination therapies involving two or more drugs is also pushing up prescription volumes, as they are both more effective and convenient for patients," an expert said. Doctors also link the growth to unhealthy lifestyle habits, leading to rising diabetes prevalence. Physicians caution that even these high sales figures may not fully reflect the extent of the problem, as a large section of Gujarat's diabetic population remains undiagnosed. City-based diabetologist Dr Sanjeev Phatak said there has been a definite rise in the use of GLP-1 drugs and oral anti-diabetic (OAD) combinations. "Earlier, while some molecules were available, the focus was mainly on diet and exercise for weight reduction, which resulted in only 4%-5% loss. This is not comparable to semaglutide- and tirzepatide-based drugs, where weight reduction can reach 15%-20% in some cases. These drugs are not prescribed only for weight loss in most situations — they help reduce the burden of diabetes, hypertension, osteoarthritis and cardiovascular diseases. Hence, they must be prescribed strictly by experts," he said. Dr Phatak added that long-term use of these molecules in western countries has created awareness, which may also explain their rapid acceptance in India following their launch. Box: Market Size Anti-diabetes Drug Market Size in Gujarat — Rs 1,196 crore Jan-March 2026Sales (Rs, Cr) Jan Feb Mar 2024-25 89 88 83 2025-26 109 107 102 % Change 23% 22% 22% Source: Pharmarack
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