Health · Healthcare & Policy · 1 hr ago
Supreme Court challenges Centre over high medicine prices
India’s Supreme Court challenged the Centre over high medicine prices during a hearing in New Delhi.
Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta questioned why patients can face prices far above what retailers pay and whether drug-pricing rules protect manufacturers more than patients.
The case concerns petitions seeking stricter enforcement of price controls on essential medicines.
The government said it favours a calibrated approach that balances affordable medicines with investment and competition in the pharmaceutical industry.
The judges questioned why the 16% retailer margin set under existing rules should not apply to all essential medicines.
They also asked about the classification of medicines and why the government had not set broader limits on trade margins.
The court has reserved its decision on the sale of essential drugs at inflated prices.
The Supreme Court questioned the Centre over high medicine prices and the limited reach of drug price controls.
A bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta asked why economic policy should take precedence over citizens’ lives.
The Centre said it favoured calibrated controls, arguing that complete government control could harm investment and competition.
The court reserved its order on petitions seeking stricter price controls on medicines and medical products.
Earlier in October, the government capped trade margins on 137 non-scheduled anti-cancer medicines at 30% of their maximum retail price.
- Who
- The Supreme Court questioned the Centre. The petitions were filed by advocate Kishan Chand Jain and paediatric surgeon Sanjay Kulshreshtha.
- What
- The court challenged the government over high medicine prices and the limits of price controls.
- When
- Tuesday, October 27, 2026.
- Where
- The Supreme Court of India, New Delhi.
- Why
- The court was hearing petitions seeking stricter price controls to curb high markups on medicines and medical products.
Supreme Court
Centre
Price controls
Supreme Court
The bench questioned why the 16% retailer margin under the DPCO should not apply to all essential medicines.
Centre
The Centre said complete government control was not the answer and favoured a calibrated approach.
Economic policy
Supreme Court
The bench said economic policy should not take precedence over citizens’ lives.
Centre
The Centre said controls should balance reasonable prices with investment, innovation and competition.
The NPPA capped trade margins on 137 non-scheduled anti-cancer medicines at 30% of their maximum retail price.
The Supreme Court questioned the Centre during a hearing on petitions seeking stricter medicine price controls.
The bench reserved its order on the petitions.
The revised prices for the 137 anti-cancer medicines were due to take effect.
- Bench
- Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta
- Trade-margin cap
- 30% of MRP for 137 non-scheduled anti-cancer medicines
- Current DPCO retailer margin
- 16%
- Petitioners
- Kishan Chand Jain and Sanjay Kulshreshtha
- Revised prices due
- November 9, 2026
4 sources
What people are saying
You are playing with the lives of people. Don't treat it as commerce, you are only talking of economic policy and commerce.
Do not treat it as commerce but treat it as what concerns the lives of citizens. Is this a matter where the government’s economic policy should weigh over the lives of citizens
Should they (pharma companies) be allowed to run amok? What is the justification for the difference in prices?
We want investments to also come here... We can make these interventions from time to time, but complete control is not the answer