India's BSE Healthcare index surges 69% in 2009 to 5018.33 points

In India, 2009 ended on a strong note for the pharmaceutical and health care segment with consistent investors' support on account of its aggressive entry into highly regulated markets, mergers and acquisitions and investment in R&D, reports PharmaBiz.com. An increasing number of approvals from US and European regulatory authorities and better-than-expected growth in top and bottom lines during the first half of 2009-10 also helped the sector to fare better. Pharmaceutical shares have given better returns during 2009 to investors.

In line with other important sectors of the Indian economy, pharmaceuticals attracted investors support and BSE (Bombay Stock Exchange) Healthcare index of 21 drugmakers moved up 69.2% to 5018.33 points as at the end of the year 2009 from 2966.19 points at the close of 2008. The BSE HC index touched its yearly high at 5183.45 points on December 18, 2009 and the same was reached at its lowest level at 2490.86 points on March 6, 2009. However, the uncertainty regarding the impact of US health care reforms on Indian pharmaceutical companies put pressure on price movements of the sector during the last week of the year.

Performance unlikely to be repeated in 2010