Anti-cancer drug price cuts from 9 November to save consumers Rs 3,502 crore a year

• Revised prices for 137 anti-cancer drugs take effect on 9 November, with estimated annual consumer savings of Rs 3,502.31 crore.

• Price reductions have been reported for 1,031 formulations, including cuts exceeding 50 per cent across 600 brands.

• Retailers and hospitals must display revised prices, while state drug controllers will monitor compliance.

Revised prices for 137 anti-cancer drugs will take effect on 9 November following a cap on trade margins, a move the government estimates will save consumers Rs 3,502.31 crore annually.

The Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers said on Saturday that the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority’s intervention had resulted in substantial price reductions across more than 1,000 branded formulations.

So far, 76 pharmaceutical companies have submitted revised maximum retail prices for 1,225 anti-cancer formulations covering 121 drugs.

Of these, 1,031 formulations have recorded lower MRPs. Reductions exceed 50 per cent across 600 brands, while the largest reported cut is 96.45 per cent, according to the ministry.

The measure applies trade margin rationalisation to non-scheduled anti-cancer medicines, limiting the maximum permissible trade margin to 30 per cent. The government said the intervention was intended to improve access to affordable cancer treatment.

Between 10 and 15 of the 137 identified drugs have yet to be introduced in India. The trade margin restrictions will apply to them when they enter the market, the ministry said.

Manufacturers will remain eligible for annual price increases under Paragraph 20(1) of the Drugs (Prices Control) Order, 2013, provided they continue to comply with the trade margin ceiling.

Retailers, dealers, hospitals and institutions must prominently display the revised MRP lists both on their websites and at their premises.

State drug controllers will oversee compliance by manufacturers, suppliers, hospitals and medical institutions.

Consumers can verify applicable prices through the Pharma Sahi Daam mobile application or the NPPA website and report suspected overcharging or other violations to the pricing authority.

With IANS inputs