Published Oct 29, 2026 | 8:15 AM ⚊ Updated Oct 29, 2026 | 8:18 AM
The NPAA noted that “cancer treatment in India imposes a severe financial burden on patients."
Synopsis: Drug manufacturers have reported price reductions of up to 90 percent for 484 anti-cancer drug products after the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) directed them to cap trade margins at 30 percent for formulations containing 137 non-scheduled anti-cancer drugs to make cancer treatment more affordable. Of 643 product entries submitted by manufacturers, 275 have seen price cuts exceeding 50 percent and 89 have recorded reductions of more than 75 percent; the revised maximum retail prices will take effect on 9 November.
Drug manufacturers have reported price reductions of up to 90 percent for 484 anti-cancer drug products after the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) directed them to cap trade margins at 30 percent for formulations containing 137 non-scheduled anti-cancer drugs to address excessive trade margins, make cancer treatment more affordable and improve access to anti-cancer medicines.
It includes medicines used to treat more than 20 types of cancer, including Denosumab, used by breast and prostate cancer patients; Pegfilgrastim, used to prevent neutropenia in cancer patients; and Bevacizumab, approved for the treatment of colon, ovarian and cervical cancers.
Of the 643 product entries submitted by manufacturers, 275 have recorded price cuts exceeding 50 percent, while 89 have seen reductions of more than 75 percent. The list is based on information submitted by manufacturers up to 27 October and will be updated as companies submit further revisions.
The revised maximum retail prices (MRPs) will take effect on 9 November.
In its 17 October order, the NPAA noted that “cancer treatment in India imposes a severe financial burden on patients and their families resulting in catastrophic health expenditure”.
It invoked Paragraph 19 of the Drugs (Prices Control) Order, 2013, to proceed with the intervention earlier in October. Its notification specifies the drugs covered, the method for calculating revised MRPs, and the obligations of manufacturers, retailers and hospitals.
The authority said the intervention was intended to curb excessive trade margins, make cancer treatment more affordable. An expert committee under the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) recommended the 137 drugs for inclusion.
“The Expert Committee comprised leading oncologists, medical specialists, experts from hospitals across the country, and Government officers,” it said.
(Edited by Dese Gowda)
