‘Patients Cannot Be Looted’: SC Pulls Up Pharma Pricing Practices
What Happened
The Supreme Court sharply criticized the alleged practice of cancer medicines being sold at prices up to 10 times higher than their procurement cost, describing it as “broad daylight dacoity.” The court expressed concern that vulnerable patients were being exploited and questioned how such large markups on lifesaving drugs could be justified. The observations came during proceedings examining pharmaceutical pricing and access to critical medicines.
Key Takeaways
The court's remarks put renewed focus on the affordability of cancer treatment in India. The case could strengthen scrutiny of drug pricing practices and increase pressure on regulators and the pharmaceutical industry to ensure that essential medicines remain accessible to patients who depend on them.