Significant price revisions have been made to 543 brands and packs of medicines used in the treatment of cancer in the country. Following a decision by the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA), the prices of 397 medicines—representing 73% of the total—have been reduced. These new prices will come into effect from November 9. The price of ‘Samtepa’ injection has been reduced from ₹80,071.86 to ₹7,150.33. The price of a pack containing 21 capsules of the medicine ‘Palbopro’ has decreased from ₹40,421 to ₹2,720. The prices of approximately 217 medicines have been reduced by more than half. For 97 brands, the prices have dropped by 70%, while for 50 brands, the reduction exceeds 80%. However, there has been no change in the prices of 146 brand-name products.
Prices of expensive drugs like Keytruda remain unchanged:
Despite the price reductions, there has been no change in the cost of certain critical and expensive medications. For instance, the price of ‘Keytruda’—an immunotherapy drug used for over 21 types of cancer—remains at 2,16,500. Similarly, the prices of drugs such as Tagrisso, Tecentriq, and Ribociclib also remain unchanged. The Supreme Court has also expressed deep concern regarding the exorbitantly high prices of cancer medications. While hearing a case on September 29, the court questioned how medicines worth ₹2,700 are being sold in the market for ₹27,000. Describing this as akin to a ‘massacre,’ the court sought an explanation from the government. Concerns have also been raised that companies and intermediaries are reaping excessive profits due to flaws in the government’s Trade Margin Rationalization (TMR) policy. It remains to be seen to what extent ordinary patients will actually find relief following this new price determination.
