Torrent Pharmaceuticals to Sell Calcigard Brand Amid Competition Commission of India Concerns

Torrent Pharmaceuticals to Sell Calcigard to Address Market Monopoly Concerns

Ahmedabad-based Torrent Pharmaceuticals is planning to sell its Calcigard brand to fulfill the assurance it had given to secure regulatory approval for its acquisition of JB Chemicals, according to sources. The move follows market monopoly concerns expressed by the Competition Commission of India (CCI), which had raised concerns about the high concentration of market share that Torrent would have commanded following the acquisition.

In June 2025, Torrent Pharmaceuticals announced its takeover of JB Chemicals, completing the acquisition by picking a 46.39 percent controlling stake for Rs 12,000 crore, pending regulatory approvals. Following this acquisition, Torrent would have commanded over 90 percent market share of nifedipine in India, a calcium channel blocker used to treat high blood pressure and angina. Calcigard is the brand name for nifedipine owned and manufactured by Torrent, while JB Chemicals has a strong presence in the cardiac segment with its own brand Nicardia.

The CCI is of the view that such a high concentration of market share may have an adverse impact on market players as well as customers. If the prices of nifedipine were increased significantly by Torrent, consumers may have no option but to buy the drug at higher prices due to the lack of availability of significant alternative brands.

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To address these anti-trust concerns, Torrent will sell Calcigard to a third party in the coming months. This divestment of the Calcigard brand in a time-bound manner was a pre-condition for securing CCI approval from the Torrent-JB deal. Torrent had argued that there was no brand distinction or loyalty in the nifedipine market and that if some other company started manufacturing the same, there would be no entry barrier into the market.

However, the CCI pointed out that both Torrent and JB's current nifedipine products are sold at 110-115 percent higher prices than Zeelab's nifedipine, which is the third-largest seller. The CCI felt that such a high concentration of market shares could put consumers at a disadvantage since Torrent would have significant power in setting prices of nifedipine.

Comparison of Nifedipine Prices

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Torrent told the CCI that nifedipine was not a unique drug and that the brand name didn't matter in the market. Nifedipine formulations were now available in the form of generic drugs, and hence, there was sufficient competition in the market for Torrent in the segment. However, the CCI was of the view that even though Torrent's nifedipine tablets cost 110 percent more than others, people were still largely buying its formulation, indicating brand loyalty.

The CCI's stance forced Torrent to make concessions to the deal structure to address competition concerns. Torrent Pharma did not respond to Moneycontrol's queries on its plan to sell Calcigard.