Panel Finalising Cancer Drugs for 30% Margin Cap to Cut Treatment Costs
What Happened
An expert committee comprising officials from the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA), Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) and medical experts is finalising a list of cancer medicines that will come under the government's proposed 30% trade margin cap. The measure targets non-scheduled anti-cancer medicines, where markups average around 170% and can reach as high as 700%. The government expects the cap to reduce the prices of some cancer drugs by up to 70%.
Key Takeaways
The move could save cancer patients around ₹2,500 crore annually and improve affordability of treatment. The cap is expected to cover branded and generic, imported and domestic, as well as patented and non-patented cancer medicines once the final list is notified.