As the pharmaceutical industry stays tuned for a direction from the United States on possible tariffs on their products, the management of Glenmark Pharmaceuticals said its US facility, presently undergoing remediation efforts, would be beneficial in the long run.
The evolving tariff situation in the US is “hard to predict”, Glenn Saldanha, Glenmark Pharma Chairman and Managing Director, told analysts. However, “given the geopolitical situation, we think Monroe should have a significant benefit, as we go forward. So, it’s only a matter of time,” he said, adding that the last interaction with the US Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) representatives was a couple of months ago. “We send in constant updates to them on the status of our remediation,” he said responding to a query.
Besides Glenmark, other drugmakers with different business models - including Cipla and Piramal Pharma - have recently pointed to benefits of having facilities in the US, as the Trump administration’s “America First” campaign beings to play-out.
Meanwhile, Saldanha was optimistic about the next couple of years in the US, with a line-up of launches. While the last quarter of this financial year would see growth on the back of some good launches, he said, there are two major launches in the first half of FY26, including products like fluticasone nasal spray.
Crowded market
On the India market, he said, the diabetes portfolio is set to see more GLP-1 products, for instance. It will be a “crowded market”, he said, adding however that Glenmark was “well positioned” to launch semaglutide in the injectable and oral versions. Semaglutide is the drug for Type II diabetes from Novo Nordisk and its branded version Ozempic / Wegovy are popular internationally for their use in obesity / weightloss. Top-management of drugmakers Cipla and Lupin, have also indicated that they intend to be in the first wave of companies making this product. Some patents on semaglutide are poised to expire next year.