New Delhi: The central government has approved a 30% cap on margins charged on the supply and sale of non-scheduled anti-cancer medicines , a move it expects to reduce prices by up to 70% and help cancer patients save ₹ 2,500 crore annually.
In a press release on Thursday, the Department of Pharmaceuticals said the measure would extend price protection to non-scheduled cancer medicines, which are currently outside the list of drugs subject to government-fixed ceiling prices. The government has also sought to ensure that the price intervention does not lead to shortages. Under the new mechanism, margins on these medicines will be limited to 30% of their maximum retail price (MRP). That decision reduced MRPs by up to 91%, with reported annual savings of ₹ 984 crore across 526 brands, according to the department.
The decision follows an analysis by the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA), which found that non-scheduled anti-cancer medicines carry an “average price mark-up of approximately 170%”, the department said, adding that in some cases, the mark-up was “700% or more”. Manufacturers of non-scheduled anti-cancer drug s will be required to “maintain their current production levels”, the department said.
