The Daily Brief Indian pharma wants to conquer cancer
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Sep 29, 2025 Indian pharma is ramping up efforts to tackle cancer, focusing on the shift from generics to biosimilars that show promise for making treatments more affordable. The podcast discusses the complexities involved in biologics, including the manufacturing and testing hurdles they face. Highlighted are companies like Glenmark and Biocon, which are betting big on oncology. Additionally, the RBI's regulatory action against Simple reveals insights into fintech dynamics in India and the emphasis on compliance in the financial sector.
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Trial Gaps And Quality Concerns
- India lacks trial infrastructure and does only ~2% of global oncology trials despite 8% of the cancer burden.
- Weak trial capacity and past lenient approvals created quality concerns that could dent trust in Indian biosimilars.
IP Choices Shape Pharma's Future
- India's historically weak biologics IP stance helped generics but now may hinder innovation and high-risk R&D.
- Stronger patent protection is becoming relevant as firms aim to develop original biologics rather than only biosimilars.
Successful Oncology Would Save Millions
- Despite hurdles, India's pharma has the capacity and market forces aligning to make meaningful oncology progress.
- Success would lower costs globally and save millions of lives in poorer countries.
