U.S. pharmaceutical giant Pfizer Inc. (NYSE:PFE) has paused the distribution of its Premarin vaginal cream in India.
The temporary halt significantly reduces the available estrogen therapy choices for millions of women dealing with menopause symptoms across the nation.
Supply Chain Hurdles
Trupti Wagh, Pfizer’s senior director of media relations for the APAC region, told Reuters the pause is due to unspecified supply chain difficulties.
She noted that the pharmaceutical company is actively looking into ways to restart distribution as quickly as possible.
Premarin, a treatment utilizing a blend of estrogen hormones, is primarily prescribed to alleviate vaginal dryness, painful intercourse, and other conditions linked to dropping estrogen levels during menopause.
Dominant Market Player
Citing research firm Pharmarack, Reuters reported that more than 620,000 units were sold in the 12 months ended June 2026. That accounted for more than half of all sales in this treatment category.
Premarin generated approximately 266 million rupees ($2.76 million), capturing 37% of India’s conjugated estrogen market value. Impressively, sales have more than quadrupled from roughly 62 million rupees in 2022.
Scarcity Of Treatment Options
The discontinuation leaves patients with few treatment options. Therapies for genitourinary syndrome of menopause (GSM) remain limited in India.
Sukhpreet Patel, a gynecologist and the founder of the advocacy platform MenopauseWize, highlighted the disparity between global and local availability.
International markets offer a wide range of creams, vaginal rings, and ovules. In India, however, patients mainly rely on Premarin and Evalon, an alternative made by Torrent Pharmaceuticals.
Patel mentioned that patient complaints regarding Premarin availability began surfacing late last year.
Rising Demand Amid Surging Demographics
The local shortage mirrors wider global constraints on hormone therapies amidst surging demand. Grand View Research data indicates India represented roughly 2.8% of the worldwide estrogen replacement therapy sector in 2025.
The domestic market, valued at $334.5 million in 2025, is forecasted to reach $604.6 million by 2033.
The Indian Menopause Society estimates that India will have around 400 million women aged 45 and older by 2026.
PFE Stock Price Activity: Pfizer shares were down 0.52% at $24.92 at the time of publication on Monday, according to Benzinga Pro data.
Photo via Shutterstock
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