More Stories

Informist, Friday, Feb. 13, 2026

MUMBAI – The Nifty Pharma index is expected to consolidate for another week as investors analyse weak December quarter earnings and shift their focus on key therapies and drugs that could revitalise earnings for companies in the international markets, particularly in the US. Investors await the formalisation of the trade deal between India and the US. While pharmaceutical exports to the US are currently exempted from the reciprocal tariffs, contours of the deal will provide more colour on the impact to Indian pharmaceutical players, analysts said.

Analysts have flagged that ever since the companies stopped collecting any significant revenue from the sale of generic Revlimid, pharmaceutical majors have been scrambling to find a product that can be margin accretive. Recently, pharmaceutical majors like Dr. Reddy's Laboratories Ltd., Cipla Ltd., and Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. have indicated that new drugs are in the pipelines for US launch.       

Dr. Reddy's has a four-pronged strategy for growth, M.V. Narasimham, chief financial officer of the company, told Informist in an interview. The first strategic priority is to sustain double-digit growth of its base business, across regions. The second involves taking the diabetes and weight-loss drug Semaglutide and the autoimmune drug abatacept to the market in a big way. He identified cost optimisation and focus on driving future growth through inorganic opportunities using cash reserves as the third and fourth priority, respectively.
 

The US is expected to exempt a few sectors from Section 232 tariffs, which are put in place for reasons of national security. However, the trade deal framework signed between the two countries adds a layer of conditions for the pharmaceutical sector, stating that India will receive "negotiated outcomes" for generic pharmaceuticals and ingredients that are contingent on the findings of a pending US Section 232 investigation into that industry, The Economic Times reported.
 

Analysts are keenly watching for new developments in the weight-loss drug market, which many expect to be a high growth opportunity for domestic players. Pharmaceutical giant Novo Nordisk Wednesday said it plans to launch its weight-loss pill Wegovy in vials. The company already sells Wegovy in injectable and oral forms. Smaller players, too, are rushing to join their peers such as Biocon Ltd., which said on an analyst conference call that they will look to partner with a domestic player to commercialise semaglutide in India. The company has also maintained that it will increase its insulin production, despite innovator companies ramping up GLP-1 class of drugs, as it sees global demand for the synthetic hormone drug.

Indian pharmaceutical market data will lend some positive cues to investors. The Indian pharmaceutical market reported a robust 11.5% on-year volume growth in January, on a base of 8.7% on-year growth in January last year. The data showed that while the pricing increase contributed to the bulk of the market's moving annual turnover growth in January, sales contributions also rose and were up to 220 basis points from 80 bps in moving annual turnover terms a year ago. Kotak Securities listed Sun Pharmaceutical Industries and Emcure Pharmaceutical as its top pick in the sector.

"We reiterate that one of the key reasons for muted branded volume growth in the Indian pharmaceutical market is the continued traction in the alternate channels," Kotak Securities said. The brokerage estimates a 120–160 bps annual dent in the branded Indian pharmaceutical market growth, at least until 2027-28 (Apr-Mar). If the share of branded generics slips further, there is a scope for further derating, Kotak Securities said. 

The Nifty Pharma index is likely to find support around 21300 points and the resistance for the index is pegged at 22550 levels, according to Rishabh Srivastav, technical analyst at Laxmishree Securities. For the week ended Friday, the Nifty Pharma index ended over 1% higher at 22194.60 points. Companies with a large exposure to contract development and manufacturing, such as Laurus Labs Ltd., IPCA Laboratories Ltd., and Piramal Pharma Ltd. rose 4–6%. Meanwhile, Gland Pharma Ltd., Aurobindo Pharma Ltd., and Alkem Laboratories Ltd. declined 4-5% on the National Stock Exchange.
 

TOP HEADLINES

* Alkem Lab to buy up to 55% in European firm making cardiovascular devices
* Earnings Review: Alkem Lab Q3 consol PAT growth slowest in 11 quarters
* Eris Lifesciences Oct-Dec consol net profit rises 19% YoY to INR 997.2 mln
* Ipca Lab Oct-Dec PAT rises 13% YoY to INR 3.03 billion
* Blue Jet Healthcare Oct-Dec PAT falls 59.4% YoY as sales fall 39.6%
* HC seeks legal metrology, DCGI view on red, green dots on cosmetics packaging
* Analyst Concall: Biocon looking to sell Semaglutide in India via B2B partner
* Earnings Review: Biocon Q3 PAT up 5 times on year but revenue growth muted
* Earnings Review: Lupin's Q3 PAT up 37% on rise in sales; misses mkt estimate
* Entero Health Oct-Dec net profit rises 8.6% on year to INR 276.33 million
* Cohance Life Oct-Dec consol net profit falls 76% on year, sales fall 20%
* Natco Pharma appoints Amit Parekh as CFO from Fri
* Natco Pharma Oct-Dec consol PAT rises 14% YoY to INR 1.52 billion
* Abbott India Oct-Dec net profit rises 4.2% on year to INR 3.76 billion
* Zydus Life, US arm sign settlement pact with Astellas for Myrbetriq generic
* AstraZeneca Pharma Oct-Dec PAT rises 5.6% YoY to INR 325.9 million
* Concord Biotech Oct-Dec consol PAT falls 15.1% YoY to INR 644.77 million
* Analyst Concall:Divi's Lab says custom synthesis pdts planned to drive growth
* Earnings Review: Divi's Lab Q3 PAT growth slowest in 9 qtrs, misses estimate
* SC refuses to stop Zydus Life from selling biosimilar of ER Squibb nivolumab
* Earnings Review:Divi's Labs Q3 PAT growth slowest in 9 qtrs, misses estimate
* SC refuses to stop Zydus Life from selling ER Squibb's nivolumab biosimilar
* OneSource Specialty gets Saudi FDA OK for Ozempic generic in Saudi Arabia
* Aurobindo Pharma gets 9 observations from US FDA for Telangana mfg unit
* Earnings Outlook: Operating costs seen hitting Alkem Lab Q3 PAT, margin
* Earnings Outlook:Growth in key pdts in US to boost Lupin's Q3 sales, PAT YoY
* Wockhardt Oct-Dec consol PAT up more than fourfold YoY at INR 590 million
* Earnings Outlook: Price erosion to limit Divi's Labs' Q3 PAT growth YoY
* Analyst Concall:Zydus Life eyes over 23% margin Q4 despite low Revlimid sales
* Cipla's US-arm manufacturing unit gets two observations from US FDA
* Ajanta Pharma denies report of fundraise plans to buy Restaurant Brands Asia
* Analyst Concall: Entering new phase of growth in US, says Aurobindo Pharma
* Lupin settles Mirabegron patent dispute with Astellas in $90 mln deal
* Analyst Concall: Entering new phase of growth in US, Aurobindo Pharma says
* Earnings Outlook:India, Brazil ops to lead Torrent Pharma Q3 earnings growth
* Earnings Review: Aurobindo Pharma Q3 consol PAT growth highest in 5 qtrs YoY
* Pfizer Oct-Dec PAT rises 11.2% on year to INR 1.42 billion
* SC asks Gujarat green body to decide on Piramal Pharma's mfg unit in one wk
* Ipca Labs starts commercial production at new manufacturing unit at Wardha
* Neuland Lab Oct-Dec consol PAT falls 60.1% YoY to INR 405.72 million
* GSK Pharma Oct-Dec PAT rises 21.3% YoY to INR 2.77 billion
* Earnings Review: Zydus Life consol PAT beats view, rises slowest in 3 qrts
* Fitch Ratings upgrades Biocon arm's outlook to positive, affirms rtg at 'BB-
* US FDA tags Ipca Labs' Maharashtra API unit as 'voluntary action indicated'
* US FDA inspects, makes 11 observations on Aurobindo Pharma arm's mfg unit
* Earnings Outlook: Zydus Life Q3 revenue growth seen healthy but PAT may fall
* Earnings Outlook: Europe, US injectables to drive Aurobindo Pharma Q3 growth
* INTERVIEW: Dr Reddy's CFO says strategy in place to fill Revlimid gap

Following are the resistance and support levels for key pharmaceutical stocks for next week as per calculations based on their prices on the National Stock Exchange:

End

Reported by Eshitva Prakash

Edited by Akul Nishant Akhoury

For users of real-time market data terminals, Informist news is available exclusively on the NSE Cogencis WorkStation.

Cogencis news is now Informist news. This follows the acquisition of Cogencis Information Services Ltd. by NSE Data & Analytics Ltd., a 100% subsidiary of the National Stock Exchange of India Ltd. As a part of the transaction, the news department of Cogencis has been sold to Informist Media Pvt. Ltd.

Informist Media Tel +91 (22) 6985-4000

Send comments to feedback@informistmedia.com

© Informist Media Pvt. Ltd. 2026. All rights reserved.