Mixtard, Ultracet and Lantus lead September brand declines

Several established pharmaceutical brands witnessed declines in both sales value and unit volumes during September 2026, with Abbott’s Mixtard, Janssen’s Ultracet and Sanofi India’s Lantus among the brands reporting the sharpest contractions, according to data from Pharmarack Technologies.

Abbott’s Mixtard recorded the steepest decline among the brands analysed, with September sales value falling 33 per cent year-on-year and unit sales declining 20.7 per cent. Janssen’s Ultracet reported a 10.3 per cent decline in value and a 19.9 per cent fall in units.

Sanofi India’s Lantus also experienced pressure, with value sales down 12.4 per cent and units declining 14.5 per cent during September. Cipla’s Budecort recorded a relatively smaller contraction, with value declining 2.4 per cent and units falling 4.8 per cent.

The decline was not uniform across the market, with some brands showing value growth despite unit contraction. Eli Lilly’s Mounjaro, for instance, continued to post 15.2 per cent value growth in September, but its unit sales declined sharply by 43.9 per cent. This divergence suggests that value performance in some brands was being supported by changes in product mix, pricing or other value-related factors rather than volume expansion.

Other brands also showed weaker volume trends despite positive value growth. Cipla’s Duolin recorded 2.1 per cent value growth, while units declined 11.5 per cent. Alkem’s Pan D grew 7.2 per cent in value, but units fell 2.6 per cent. Abbott’s Udiliv reported 7.7 per cent value growth against a 2.3 per cent unit decline.

Sheetal Sapale, Vice President – Commercial, Pharmarack Technologies, said the September data highlights the importance of separating value growth from volume performance when assessing brand momentum. While several brands continued to expand in value, the accompanying decline in units for some products indicates that their growth was not necessarily volume-driven.

The MAT September 2026 numbers provide a broader perspective. Mounjaro remained the fastest-growing major brand, with 336 per cent value growth and 93.2 per cent unit growth over the trailing 12-month period. However, its September monthly performance showed a sharp divergence, with value up 15.2 per cent while units fell 43.9 per cent.

On a MAT basis, other brands also showed weakness. Abbott’s Mixtard recorded a 5.4 per cent decline in value despite 8.3 per cent unit growth, while Himalaya’s Liv.52 declined 6.2 per cent in value and 19.2 per cent in units. Janssen’s Ultracet was down 5.2 per cent in value and 10.4 per cent in units.

The September data therefore presents a mixed picture for the Indian pharmaceutical market, with strong growth among several brands co-existing with volume and value pressure in a number of established products.

Narayan Kulkarni

narayan.kulkarni@mmactiv.com