The government sets a 30% trade margin cap on 137 anti-cancer medications; starting on November 9, prices will drop by 70%.

Depending on current pricing structures, the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) has capped trade margins for 137 identified non-scheduled anti-cancer medications at 30% of their maximum retail price. This action is anticipated to lower MRPs by as much as 70%. The updated pricing will go into effect on November 9 in accordance with a notice published in the Gazette on October 17. The goal of the intervention is to lessen the cost burden of cancer treatment while reducing excessive distribution and retail margins.

The drugs covered include immunotherapies used to treat more than 20 types of cancer, denosumab used by breast and prostate cancer patients, pegfilgrastim used to prevent neutropenia in cancer patients, and bevacizumab, approved for treating colon, ovarian and cervical cancers. Widely used medicines such as pembrolizumab, durvalumab and osimertinib are also covered, with the revised pricing expected to improve patient access. The decision builds on NPPA’s 2019 pilot trade margin rationalisation exercise, which capped margins on 42 anti-cancer drugs at 30 percent That intervention reduced the MRPs of 526 brands of non-scheduled anti-cancer medicines by up to 90 percent.

An expert committee under the Directorate General of Health Services, which included government officials, medical specialists, oncologists, and hospital experts, approved the increased list. Periodically, the list will be updated. In accordance with Paragraph 19 of the Drugs (Prices Control) Order, 2013, NPPA enforced the cap. Within seven days of the notification’s publication, manufacturers are required to notify the authority of any price changes. Additionally, they have to post pricing lists on their websites and distribute them widely to hospitals and shops.