No Relief For Cancer Patients As Major Drug Prices Remain Unchanged

(MENAFN- AsiaNet News)

Cancer Drug Prices Remain Unchanged

By Shalini Bhardwaj New Delhi [India], October 29 (ANI): The revised maximum retail price (MRP) list of non-scheduled anti-cancer drugs, effective from November 9, 2026, shows no change in the prices of major cancer drug formulations, including chemotherapy and immunotherapy medicines, offering no immediate price relief to patients purchasing these drugs. The prices of several patented medicines used to treat lung cancer, breast cancer, blood cancer and bone marrow-related conditions remain unchanged.

Alectinib 150 mg, sold under the brand name Alecensa, continues to cost Rs. 4,30,696. Similarly, the price of Pembrolizumab 100 mg, an immunotherapy medicine marketed as Keytruda, remains at Rs. 2,16,500. Osimertinib 80 mg, sold as Tagrisso, continues to cost Rs. 1,38,830.83, while the price of Pertuzumab and Trastuzumab 1200 mg, marketed as Phesgo, remains unchanged at Rs. 4,93,266. These medicines are significant for cancer patients, as treatment often involves multiple cycles, adding to the financial burden on patients and their families. Some of these medicines are available in capsule form, while others are injectable biological medicines.

Concerns Over Affordability and Regulation

Inadequacy of Trade Margin Controls

Speaking to ANI, K M Gopakumar, Co-convenor of the Working Group on Access to Medicines and Treatments, said the data highlighted concerns over the affordability of cancer medicines despite the regulation of trade margins. "While the data exposes the scale of exploitation of patients by hospitals, the data also shows the inadequacy of the trade margin regulation to facilitate affordable access to medicines and healthcare," he said.

Gopakumar further said the NPPA list showed that the maximum retail prices of nearly 37 patented medicines, comprising 65 formulations, remained unchanged despite the fixation of trade margins. "Therefore, measures to bring competition for those life-saving medicines, like compulsory licensing or government use, are urgent," he said.

NPPA Regulatory Actions

The National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) released a list of 543 anti-cancer drug brands on Tuesday evening. Earlier, on October 17, the NPPA released a list of 137 compounds for which trade margins would be capped at 30 per cent under the regulation for non-scheduled formulations. (ANI)

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianetnews Editorial staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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