Health · Healthcare & Policy · 7 hrs ago
India cuts prices of many cancer drugs, but costly patented brands are unchanged
India’s drug price regulator has revised prices for 543 cancer drug brands, with the new prices due to take effect on November 9.
Some generic medicines will become much cheaper: a pack of sunitinib capsules will cost ₹285.69, down from ₹889.
Prices for several costly patented treatments remain unchanged, including Keytruda, Opdyta and Imjudo.
The drugs affected by the cuts are used to treat cancers including ovarian, breast, lung and liver cancer.
The changes come as India’s Supreme Court hears calls to regulate hospitals’ high trade margins on medicines, amid concern about the cost of cancer treatment.
Patient assistance programmes at private hospitals may reduce what some patients pay, while a health policy expert says the government should negotiate prices for public and institutional purchases.
The revised prices are set to apply from November 9, though an industry source said further clarification from the government may be needed.
The National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority has revised prices for 543 cancer drug brands, with cuts for several widely used medicines due to take effect on November 9.
Several costly patented cancer drugs, including Keytruda, Opdyta, Tagrisso and Imjudo, are excluded from the reductions.
Prices of some generic cancer drugs will fall sharply, including sunitinib, olaparib and palbociclib.
The changes come amid a Supreme Court hearing on petitions seeking regulation of hospitals’ trade margins on medicines.
- Who
- The National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority revised the prices. The changes affect cancer drug brands and their patients.
- What
- Prices of several cancer drugs are set to fall, while some costly patented brands remain unchanged.
- When
- The revised prices are due to take effect on November 9. The NPPA released its list late Tuesday evening.
- Where
- India.
- Why
- The changes revise prices for cancer drug brands. They come amid a Supreme Court hearing on regulating hospitals’ trade margins on medicines.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
The NPPA released a list of 137 compounds for which it said trade margins would be capped at 30%.
The NPPA released a list of 543 anti-cancer drug brands with revised prices.
The revised prices for several widely used cancer drugs are due to take effect.
- Revised brands
- 543 anti-cancer drug brands
- Effective date
- November 9
- Sunitinib
- A pack will cost ₹285.69, down from ₹889
- Olaparib
- A pack of 30 tablets will cost ₹2,695, down from ₹15,398
- Palbociclib
- A pack of 21 100 mg capsules will cost ₹2,068, down from ₹24,505