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Cancer Drug Prices in India Slashed by Up to 70 PercentHealth
Prices of 137 anti-cancer medicines in India have fallen by up to 70 percent after the drug pricing regulator capped trade margins at 30 percent.
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Cancer treatment in India has become substantially cheaper this week, after new prices for 137 anti-cancer medicines took effect on 9 November. The National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) capped the trade margin on the drugs at 30 per cent of the maximum retail price, cutting prices by up to 70 per cent on many of them. The revised prices apply across retail and hospital pharmacies throughout the country.
The regulator issued the order on 17 October under paragraph 19 of the Drugs (Prices Control) Order, 2013, following recommendations from an expert committee set up by the Directorate General of Health Services. The cap covers branded and generic medicines, imported and domestic products, and patented as well as off-patent drugs. It limits the gap between the distributor price and the maximum retail price, squeezing the mark-ups taken by distributors, retailers and hospital pharmacies along the supply chain.
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Savings of more than 3,300 crore rupees
By 4 November, 70 companies had reported revised prices for 120 of the 137 drugs, covering more than 1,100 products, according to the government. Most reductions fall between 20 and 70 per cent, with the steepest single cut reaching 96.45 per cent. The government estimates the lower prices will save patients about 3,357 crore rupees, calculated by applying the price differences to the volume of medicines sold between April 2025 and March 2026. The NPPA has published revised maximum retail prices for 543 brands on its website, and the list is being updated as companies submit new figures.
The drugs covered include immunotherapy medicines used to treat more than 20 types of cancer, along with denosumab, used by breast and prostate cancer patients, pegfilgrastim, which helps prevent infections after chemotherapy, and bevacizumab, used to treat colon, ovarian and cervical cancers. Patients can check the new prices for their own medicines on the NPPA website or through the official Pharma Sahi Daam mobile application.
The government has asked manufacturers to maintain production levels under the new cap, so that cheaper medicines remain available. Indian media have described the move as the biggest price intervention on cancer medicines since 2019, and for families paying for chemotherapy or immunotherapy from their own pockets, the difference could be measured in lakhs of rupees over a full course of treatment.
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