Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru/New Delhi
Mangaluru/New Delhi, Oct 18: In a major relief to patients battling cancer, the central government has announced a price reduction for 137 types of cancer drugs. The revised prices, which will come into effect from November 9, are expected to significantly lower the financial burden on patients and their families.
The government has capped the trade margin on the maximum retail price (MRP) of these non-scheduled cancer drugs at 30%. As a result, the MRP of these medicines is likely to drop by up to 70%.
Crucial immunotherapy drugs such as Pembrolizumab, Durvalumab, and Osimertinib, widely used in the treatment of breast, prostate, and ovarian cancers, among others, are expected to become cheaper. Pharmaceutical manufacturers are required to publish the revised price lists, and it is mandatory for pharmacies to display them. Chemists and hospitals must sell the drugs at the reduced prices starting November 9.
This decision is estimated to save approximately Rs 2,500 crore annually for lacs of cancer patients across the country.
U T Khader welcomes the move
Welcoming the central government's measure, health and family welfare minister U T Khader said that getting treatment for a serious illness like cancer is a major challenge, with the high cost of medicines placing a heavy financial burden on patients.
Khader stated that during an inspection by the Karnataka state Food Safety and Drugs Administration (FDA), significant discrepancies were noticed in the prices of cancer drugs from 254 pharmaceutical companies. "Drugs produced at lower costs were reaching consumers at a highly inflated MRP, increasing the financial burden on patients. Taking this seriously, I had instructed FDA officials to investigate the price variations and take appropriate action. Furthermore, the matter was brought to the attention of the concerned central authorities, including the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) and the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO)," he informed.
He recalled that during a press meet at Arogya Soudha in Bengaluru on September 9, he had stressed the need for price regulation and urged the central government to take necessary steps. Subsequently, documented information regarding price discrepancies, landing costs, and retail prices was submitted to the central authorities. Khader also acknowledged the media's crucial role in bringing the issue of drug price control into the public domain.
He termed the filing of a public interest litigation (PIL) in the Supreme Court regarding this issue as a significant development. In light of these events, the NPPA's intervention to regulate cancer drug prices is a crucial milestone for patient welfare, he added.
"It is our hope that cancer patients get access to medicines at affordable prices. The tragic situations where families are forced to sell their properties or fall into a debt trap for treatment must be minimised. Ensuring life-saving drugs are affordable for the common man is a primary responsibility of the healthcare system. I am confident that this price control measure will benefit patients across the country," Khader said.
Emphasising that no patient should be forced to abandon their fight against cancer due to the exorbitant cost of medicines, he urged for continuous and coordinated efforts between the central and state governments to bring transparency to drug pricing and reduce unnecessary financial burdens.