Ahmedabad: Sales of cancer drugs in Gujarat have witnessed a sharp surge over the past year, outpacing the gradual rise in cancer cases. Industry experts pointed to changing treatment patterns, wider adoption of advanced therapies and improved diagnosis, as the key reason for the rise.Data from Pharmatrac shows that Gujarat’s anti-neoplastics (anti-cancer) drug category recorded a 23.1% year-on-year growth in the moving annual total (MAT) ending June, compared to just 9.5% growth in MAT in June 2025. The category’s sales reached Rs 155.6 crore during the period.The growth gathered momentum through 2026. After registering only 1% MAT growth in Jan, the category expanded by 18.2% in March, 19.7% in April, 22.9% in May and 23.1% in June.
Cancer Drug sales in Gujarat
However, oncologists said the jump in medicine sales should not be interpreted as evidence of a comparable spike in cancer incidence.Dr Nitin Singhal, senior onco-surgeon at Sterling Hospital, said population-based cancer registries continue to show a gradual increase in cancer incidence rather than an alarming surge. “The increase in drug sales could reflect greater use of targeted therapies, immunotherapy, chemotherapy and associated medicines administered to cancer patients,” he said.Singhal added that awareness and screening programmes have expanded significantly over the past decade, leading to earlier detection and bringing more patients into the treatment system.Diagnosis at an early stage can increase the number of patients receiving treatment even if the underlying incidence of cancer rises only slowly.Industry experts attributed the trend to better access to specialised medicines and the growing acceptance of newer therapies. Sheetal Sapale, vice-president (commercial) at Pharmarack, said, “These medicines move through a specialised supply chain and have seen higher trade flows as access and awareness improve. Newer therapies are gaining traction, while the use of monoclonal antibodies is also increasing, which is seen in the overall growth chain.“Molecule-wise sales data supports this trend, with the pertuzumab-trastuzumab combination and the two medicines sold separately registering strong growth alongside several other targeted therapies.Dr Rushabh Kothari, consultant medical oncologist at Narayana Hospital, said, “From what we are seeing in clinical practice, more patients are reaching oncology specialists at a stage where effective treatment is possible. The adoption of precision medicine, immunotherapy and targeted therapies has transformed outcomes for many cancers, but these treatments are also more resource-intensive. The growing oncology market reflects both advances in cancer care and the urgent need to expand screening, diagnostic facilities and affordable access to treatment across Gujarat.“Experts further added that changes in treatment protocols and longer treatment duration could also contribute to higher medicine consumption.
