Health · Healthcare & Policy · 3 hrs ago
India cuts prices on 137 cancer medicines as concerns grow over lasting savings
India’s National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority has ordered price reductions on 137 anti-cancer medicines to ease the cost of treatment.
The revised prices take effect on November 9.
The move follows a 2019 order that restricted trade margins on some cancer drugs, but mark-ups later rose on many of them.
The All-India Drug Action Network says mark-ups on most of the drugs from that earlier list were above 43% before the latest order, with some exceeding 700%.
It argues that one-time price cuts do not keep margins down without lasting limits and regular monitoring.
Healthcare policy expert Indu Bhushan says the latest step could lower costs for people needing prolonged treatment, but patients must receive the savings.
India’s National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority has ordered trade-margin-related price reductions for 137 anti-cancer medicines.
The revised prices are due to take effect on November 9, 2026.
Indu Bhushan, a healthcare policy expert and former National Health Authority CEO, said the move could substantially reduce costs for patients needing prolonged treatment.
Bhushan said the policy’s success depends on whether savings reach patients.
The All-India Drug Action Network said one-time price cuts may not prevent mark-ups from rising again without permanent margin caps and consistent monitoring.
The Times of India reported that many medicines covered by a 2019 price measure had mark-ups of 100% to more than 700% before the latest order.
- Who
- India’s National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) and patients receiving cancer treatment.
- What
- The NPPA ordered price reductions linked to trade margins for 137 anti-cancer medicines.
- When
- The revised prices are due to take effect on November 9, 2026.
- Where
- India.
- Why
- To reduce the financial burden of cancer treatment. Bhushan said the savings must reach patients for the measure to succeed.
NPPA and supporters of the price intervention
All-India Drug Action Network
Effect of the intervention
NPPA and supporters of the price intervention
The NPPA’s decision is an important step towards reducing the financial burden of cancer treatment, Bhushan said.
All-India Drug Action Network
AIDAN said one-time MRP reductions are insufficient to prevent mark-ups from rising again.
Long-term safeguards
NPPA and supporters of the price intervention
Bhushan said the measure’s success depends on whether savings reach patients.
All-India Drug Action Network
AIDAN called for permanent margin caps and consistent monitoring.
The NPPA imposed a 30% trade-margin cap on the selling price of some anti-cancer medicines.
The Hindu reported Bhushan’s assessment of the NPPA’s decision covering 137 anti-cancer medicines.
The Times of India reported that many medicines on the 2019 list had high mark-ups before the latest price order.
The revised prices are due to take effect.
- Medicines covered
- 137 anti-cancer medicines
- Revised prices effective
- November 9, 2026
- 2019 price measure
- 30% trade-margin cap on selling price
- 2019 list overlap
- 34 of the 137 medicines were on the 2019 NPPA list of 42 anti-cancer drugs
- Reported mark-ups
- The remaining 39 drugs on the 2019 list had mark-ups ranging from 100% to over 700% before the latest order
3 sources
What people are saying
NPPA is calling it trade margin capping, as they did in 2019 also. That's misleading because it is not a cap. It is just a one-time reduction of MRP by restriction of the mark-up
Financial protection for patients cannot be achieved through a single intervention