The role of the pharmaceutical industry has become even more pronounced in the wake of the COVID-19 crisis. In these challenging and volatile times, pharmaceutical and healthcare companies play a vital role in facilitating the global supply of critical drugs while also planning for new vaccines and therapeutics. This makes the Pharma industry one of the most critical and most resilient industries during such health emergencies. The pharmaceutical industry has also been impacted both on the demand as well as the supply side. Even though the impact on the demand side may be short-lived, that on the supply side is expected to have long-lasting effects on the global pharma supply chain.
Several governments restricted the export of certain pharmaceutical products or inputs essential for manufacturing pharmaceutical products, at various times during the pandemic, aiming to concentrate limited supplies on domestic demand. When the pandemic was at its peak, the industry faced some difficulties, especially with regards to input materials being supplied from certain geographies.
On the demand side, pharma products are driven by underlying medical requirements, which are unlikely to change materially due to COVID-19. Fluctuations observed in the sales and procurement patterns are expected to continue only in the short-term. New opportunities have also emerged for the pharma industry, with increasing demand in certain categories such as hygiene products, preventive healthcare products and also with the creation of essential redundancies in the supply chain by global companies. Enhanced focus on regional and local manufacturing is expected to boost new opportunities for companies with global production networks, a track record for reliable supply, and sound ESG (Environment, Social and Governance) practices. Most companies are likely to focus on operational resilience, agility and transparency through a greater deployment of digital and analytical tools, along with the automation of processes.
Overall, the industry is undergoing unprecedented changes as the crisis begins to pass. Key regulatory agencies are considering product sampling at borders, reviewing the company's compliance history, sharing information with other governments and expediting speedier approvals of regulatory submissions. Securing the supply chain and ensuring business continuity while maintaining a strong focus on quality and compliance is the need of the hour. Pharma companies that can prepare for these changes with agility and set proactive controls and mechanisms in place, should emerge stronger, as the impact of the pandemic subsides.
The COVID-19 pandemic has been both a health as well as an economic crisis, deeply affecting the lives of millions around the world. The Company adapted quickly across its operations to support stakeholders during such a turbulent time. It remains cautiously positive in its approach towards managing any potential impact of the pandemic on its activities, and the distribution of its goods and services to patients and customers.
On the demand side
On the supply side
Notes:
(1) Pharma includes CDMO, Complex Hospital Generics and India Consumer Healthcare and certain Foreign exchange income/loss
(2) FY 2016 - FY 2022 results have been prepared based on IND AS, prior periods are IGAAP
Manufacturing Sites
Countries with Commercial Presence
CDMO Customers
CHG Customers (Hospitals)
Total regulatory inspections1
USFDA inspections successfully cleared1
OAIs1,2
Annual customer audits1
Notes:
(1) Since FY 2012
(2) OAI: Official Action Indicated
Growth capex across Discovery, Development and Commercial Manufacturing within CDMO
Investments to bolster capacity across key Inhalation Anaesthesia products in Complex Hospital Generics
Sales Promotion to drive consumer acquisition and loyalty on several brands in India Consumer Healthcare
Notes:
(1) Equivalent to US$ 10 Million
(2) Equivalent to US$ 3 Million
(3) Equivalent to US$ 14 Million
business from repeat clients
From North America and Europe
Pipeline of molecules across phases 1, 2 and 3
Development revenue from Phase 3 molecules
APIs across therapeutic areas
FDFs across therapeutic areas and dosage forms
Ability to manufacture across a wide range of scale in API as well as formulations
Note:
(1) Aurora, Pithampur, Riverview, Grangemouth and Morpeth are select cases of upcoming and completed capex investments across our global sites
The total market value for Contract Development and Manufacturing Organisation (CDMO) services stood at $ 115 Billion in 2020 and is expected to reach $ 169 Billion in 2026, growing at a CAGR of 7%. Small molecules lead the pipeline contributing 70% to the CDMO market. The CDMO market is largely fragmented with several players and few companies occupying a significant market share. The competitive intensity is high, which leads to differentiation playing a key role. Companies displaying differentiated technologies, niche expertise with high barriers to entry, and strict regulatory requirements reap higher growth and margins. CDMOs that can deliver customer-centric, highquality, customised solutions across drug products and drug substances from various regions are distinguished from other industry players. CDMOs have been witnessing growth as pharmaceutical companies continue to increase outsourcing to ՙintegrated service providers՚ due to the following reasons:
Pharmaceutical firms are attempting to reduce their production and processing costs while concurrently de-risking their R&D activities and increasing the pace of delivery to markets. Outsourcing has evolved from a transactional activity to a strategic function. Increasing number of specialty and biotech companies are turning to service providers for help in order to avoid high fixed costs of in-house development and for building manufacturing facilities. Thus, CDMOs are an integral and rapidly expanding component of the pharmaceutical value chain.
The Company’s CDMO business has presence across the value chain from drug research and clinical development to commercial production of active pharmaceutical components and formulations. This, coupled with the ability to manufacture across a wide range of APIs as well as formulations, allows for multiple entry points with clients, resulting in a consistently high win-rate for the Company.
Large part of the revenue is sticky in nature, with 70% generated from Commercial manufacturing. Commercial products under patent contributed $ 56 Million to revenue in FY 2022, up from $ 19 Million in FY 2019. The Company has a balanced Development revenue mix across phases, with robust growth in projects across clinical phases and 3.4x increase in the number of phase III molecules.
PEL serves a large customer base by leveraging global delivery capabilities through its extensive network of 13 facilities across the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and India. The Company's diverse manufacturing footprint allows for close proximity to customers and markets, as well as cost-effective production.
For both unique and generic pharmaceuticals, PEL is leveraging an ‘End-to-end Model’ to offer integrated services with a compelling value proposition - reduced time-to-market, reduced operational complexity and lower supply chain costs. This has resulted in a diversified blue chip customer base with 71% of revenue from Big Pharma, Emerging Biopharma, etc. and 75% of revenue from Regulated Markets, while still maintaining low revenue concentration and top 10 customers accounting for 39% of the Company’s FY 2022 revenue.
PEL’s long-term, loyal client relationships are rooted in its quality track record, cost effectiveness, and ability to provide differentiated offerings. Highly potent APIs, Antibody Drug Conjugates, Potent Sterile Injectables, and Hormonal Oral Solid Dosage Forms are among its unique offers. The revenue contribution from differentiated offerings is steadily increasing and stood at 22% of total revenues in FY 2022. While the Company serves most therapeutic areas, its determined focus has also helped build presence in high growth areas such as oncology.
The Company is expanding major sites through customer-led brownfield expansions and have committed $ 157 Million of growth-oriented Capex investments across multiple sites.
PEL also continued to add capabilities through successful acquisitions.
In FY 2022, PEL’s CDMO business grew 10% yoy, marginally impacted by execution and supply related challenges.
The Complex Hospital Generics market has a total size of over $ 50 Billion. Generic injectables represent ~20% of the US generic market.
Capabilities in injectables are harder to acquire and capital intensive. Due to high entry barriers such as high initial investments for supplying and sustaining medical devices such as vaporisers, as well as dedicated production facilities for difficult-to-manufacture products, competition remains limited as compared to traditional generics.
Furthermore, a considerable portion of each of these categories is made up of institutional group purchasing organisations (GPOs) or tender-based industry, both of which are extremely relationshipbased and highly technical. These factors create hurdles for lessexperienced competitors and new entrants. The high cost and operational burden of injectable capabilities increases the possibilities of long-term contracts with customers and GPOs.
Inhalation Anaesthesia, Injectable Anaesthesia, Pain management, Intrathecal treatment, and other injectables are all part of the Company’s Complex Hospital Generics business. PEL is leveraging its differentiated portfolio spanning Inhalation Anaesthesia and Injectables to gain market share and drive growth. During the year, the Company maintained a strong market share in key regions, and also maintained the following leadership positions:
PEL leverages relationships with a global network of partners for sterile injectables and has vertical integration for Inhalation Anaesthesia. The Company has a defensible and differentiated portfolio across these key hospital-focused products and a strong pipeline of over 36 SKUs with an addressable market of $ 6.8 Billion in various stages of development. PEL’s goods are sold in over 100 countries, as it serves hospitals, surgical centres, and veterinary clinics.
Through vertical integration, cost-effective and scalable infrastructure, and solid relationships with developers and manufacturers, PEL continues to expand its supply chain capabilities. The Company has been procuring Key Starting Materials (KSMs), Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs), and Completed Dosage Forms from partners across the globe to increase supply.
During the year, the Company executed multiple contract extensions with major GPOs in the US, and achieved strong Inhaled Anaesthesia sales in the US, despite several supply chain related challenges including rising material and logistics related costs.
From time to time throughout the year and in different geographies, COVID-19 continued to have direct and indirect impacts on demand:
Despite the headwinds of COVID-19, inflation and economic pressures, the Company has grown revenues at 20% yoy in FY 2022. While PEL expects most of these challenges to continue in the near term, its growing product portfolio combined with increasing access to additional markets, and its continued agility in meeting customer and patient expectations, creates a lucrative position for the Company to outperform in the long run.
The Complex Hospital Generics business revenue grew by 20% yoy to ₹ 2,002 Crores during the year, due to demand normalisation for most of the Company’s products.
In India, the health-focused branded consumer industry is worth ~$ 19 Billion. Due to a young, urban population with increasing health consciousness, digital revolution, retail disruptions, and its continued value-seeking behaviour, the consumer healthcare market in India has grown significantly. With the increase in lifestyle ailments, the segment is expected to continue growing at a significant rate in the years ahead. Because of the exposure, tailored positioning, and nearly endless shelf space given by e-commerce platforms, online shopping is on the rise.
The Indian healthcare sector is growing at a brisk pace due to its increasing coverage, services and surge in expenditure by public as well private players.
PEL’s business has evolved into a diversified portfolio of attractive brands including analgesics, skin care, VMS, kids' wellness, digestives, women's health, and hygiene and protection. Our business has an addressable market size of $ 7 Billion.
The Company is witnessing a strong performance in power brands, which contributed 57% to the FY 2022 revenues. The revenue from power brands grew 37% yoy to ₹ 424 Crores for the year. These brands include Saridon, Supradyn, Lacto Calamine, Little’s, Tetmosol, i-Pill and Polycrol. During the year, Little’s crossed ₹ 100 Crores and Tetmosol crossed ₹ 50 Crores in revenues.
The Company operates on an asset-light model with a diverse distribution network comprising multiple channels including chemists, grocers, modern trade, e-commerce, and kid's stores. The items are distributed by an established commercial infrastructure, which is well-entrenched in traditional channels, with a presence in ~200,000 chemists and cosmetics stores and 10,000+ kids’ toys and gift shops. The Company’s products are also available in more than 8,700 modern trade stores and 24 e-commerce portals.
The Company has made investments to improve its distribution and customer acquisition. There are dedicated teams for ‘chemist only’ and ‘cosmetics and chemist channel’. PEL has 100% tech-enabled sales coverage to enhance the productivity of field force. There is a direct coverage of toy stores to enhance depth and visibility.
During the year FY 2022, the Company launched 40 new products, such as brand extension products, Home Covid Detection Kit, and a new brand CIR (Care is Rare) in Geriatric Care category, along with 18 new SKUs. It also launched its own D2C e-commerce website, wellify.in. PEL is increasingly leveraging e-commerce to launch new products and 7 of its products are rated #1 in their respective categories on Amazon.
The pandemic has prompted several lifestyle changes around the world, and the shifts are also visible in India's consumer healthcare industry. The modern Indian consumer, concerned about their health and safety, is attempting to prepare for the new normal. The buying behaviour of the Indian consumer has also changed, enabling the growth of e-commerce.
The COVID-19 pandemic is propelling market areas like preventative healthcare and personal hygiene to newer heights. To enhance immunity, consumers are increasingly looking for preventative healthcare items such as multivitamins and ayurvedic supplements. Personal hygiene items have gained popularity and are projected to become an important element of the Indian consumers' monthly grocery baskets.
At Piramal, we are overwhelmed by the trust our customers, patients and their families have placed in our products. Committed to consistently deliver the product with high-quality standards, we have built a strong quality culture and established an exemplary Quality Management System (QMS) framework that is implemented across all facilities, contract manufacturing sites, and suppliers.
Our compliance and governance model closely monitors the compliance and key performance indicators through audits and periodic review of Quality and Customer dashboard. With consistent track record of regulatory accreditations, embracing latest technology, adoption of innovative process and hiring worldclass talent, help us to remain attractive to customers as preferred partners. Continual improvement in systems, practices, infrastructure, and people strategy is the DNA to keep pace with the dynamic regulatory framework.
Patients are at the center of quality decisions we take on product disposition. Our established complaint process ensures we respond appropriately to product quality queries by patients and customers. Our post-marketing Pharmacovigilance system closely tracks risks, if any, with the products and all products continue to remain under the low risk and high benefits bracket.
The dynamic regulatory landscape coupled with greater scrutiny by regulatory authorities continues to be a key challenge for the pharmaceutical industry. The COVID pandemic threw a major challenge on people retention within quality organization owing to the attractive market situation. We have rolled out several initiatives to enable retain and hire key talent in quality space. People situation is under a good state of control now. Sites are also actively tuned to host on-site inspections by regulators like FDA and others and also our customers. PPL addresses the evolving regulatory requirements by establishing even higher internal standards that ensure perpetual inspection readiness. Over the past several years, the Company has successfully cleared 36 USFDA audits, 269 total regulatory inspections and 1,377 customer inspections. The Company’s internal search engine closely tracks any upcoming regulatory guidance at its nascent stage and updates the global quality guideline well before time to enable the site quality system to align with the new regulation in a timely manner.
At PPL, ‘quality’ is viewed as an integral part of the Company’s identity and as one of the most important aspects of its brand that dictates the Company’s culture, hires, and policies. The Company employs a 3-tier quality governance model to prevent dilution of the quality bandwidth while enabling central, regional and local controls. To provide due authority and enablement to the Quality group, this group is permitted to operate independently and reports to the Board. The Quality team is competent, multi- layered and capable of handling different compliance challenges with strategies spearheaded from its central cell. Quality continues to be a collective responsibility of all functions across the organisation.
In order to maintain a sustainable Quality System throughout all sites, PPL uses patented tools to identify site quality health, site audit readiness index and the site’s data integrity compliance. The tools are periodically updated to incorporate checkpoints in-line with current regulatory requirements. Data from site quality metrics are processed by Central Governance team using an algorithm to arrive at a numerical score and identify focal points. Periodic and designed reviews keep close track of site systemic health. The quality of products manufactured at CMO locations is closely tracked by the CMO governance model thereby ensuring that it measures to the Company’s quality standard.
Building a patient, customer, and consumer-centric organisation is of utmost importance to the Company. One of the six important Piramal Success Factors the organisation strives to instill in all its people is that of 'Serving Customers.' The Company strives to win the hearts of patients and customers by providing high-quality products and services.
PEL’s expertise in patient, customer, and consumer-centricity is driven by its fundamental principles of knowledge, action, care, and impact. PEL has built credibility through this strategy, which includes medicine, the use of technology, frequent surveys, and workshops.
We have received WHO Good Distribution Practices (GDP) Certification for demonstrating our commitment to good practices and excellence in all aspects of our service. Two of our units in India i.e., Pithampur and Digwal were awarded GDP certification in 2019 and 2021 respectively. It serves as a quality assurance system for pharmaceutical warehouses and distribution centers, as well as an assessment of risk in supply chain operations.
Quality is a collective responsibility at PPL and is ingrained in the organization’s DNA. The Company continues to invest in hiring worldclass talent, technology, innovation, automation, infrastructure and enhance Quality oversight across all PPL sites. The roll out of Quality Long Range Plan along with expanded Quality Structure and Quality Initiatives helps to retain strong regulatory credentials and ensure competitive edge.
Revenue from Pharma business grew by 16% yoy in FY 2022 to ₹ 6,701 Crore on account of high growth in Complex Hospital Generics and India Consumer Healthcare business, which was partly offset by lower performance in the CDMO business. Revenue has grown at a CAGR of 13% over the last decade, now contributing 48% to overall PEL revenue mix. The Pharma business has delivered a strong growth in EBITDA margins from 7% in FY 2012 to 18% in FY 2022.
Track record of building scalable differentiated pharma businesses with world class talent in attractive markets through profitable organic and inorganic growth
PEL has identified key drivers for future growth across its three businesses.