New Delhi: The government has capped trade margins on 137 anti-cancer medicines at 30 per cent, a step expected to bring down their prices significantly. The revised prices will take effect from November 9, 2026, and the maximum retail price of some medicines could fall by up to 70 per cent, it said.
The government said the decision aims to reduce the financial burden of cancer treatment on patients and their families. The move is meant to bring relief to those undergoing treatment.
The medicines' list was fixed by the authority that monitors drug prices. Capping the trade margin is intended to bring prices closer to international levels.
Cancer treatment is expensive, which places a financial strain on many patients. Lower prices are expected to make treatment accessible to more people.
The decision follows a wider effort to make essential medicines more affordable. How the new prices will be enforced, and how pharmaceutical companies respond, will become clear in the coming weeks.
The government has not specified how many patients are expected to benefit, or the total savings it estimates.
The authority that monitors the maximum retail price of medicines reviews prices periodically. The decision is expected to bring relief to many families by lowering the cost of cancer treatment. Whether drug companies welcome the move or object to it will become clear in the coming weeks. Cancer treatment often runs for years, which makes a price cut significant.
A central authority issues notifications and reviews prices for medicines. Prices of drugs on the essential medicines list are already controlled. The decision is expected to cut treatment costs and bring relief to many patients.