THEBUSINESSBYTES
BUREAU
NEW
DELHI, OCTOBER 17, 2026
In a major relief to
cancer patients, the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) on
Saturday announced trade margin rationalisation for 137 identified
non-scheduled anti-cancer drugs, a move expected to reduce their maximum retail
prices (MRPs) by up to 70 per cent from November 9.
The intervention,
undertaken in the public interest, aims to curb excessive trade margins across
the drug distribution and retail chain, make cancer treatment more affordable
and improve access to life-saving medicines, the Department of Pharmaceuticals
said.
Under the measure,
the NPPA has capped trade margins at 30 per cent of the MRP for the identified
drugs in accordance with Paragraph 19 of the Drugs (Prices Control) Order
(DPCO), 2013.
The revised prices
will come into effect from November 9, with manufacturers required to notify
the regulator of their revised prices within seven days of publication of the
Gazette notification dated October 17, 2026.
The latest move
builds on the regulator's 2019 pilot exercise, under which trade margins on 42
anti-cancer drugs were capped at 30 per cent. Following that intervention, MRPs
of 526 brands of non-scheduled anti-cancer medicines were reduced by up to 90
per cent.
The expanded exercise
covers 137 drugs recommended by an expert committee constituted under the
Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS). The panel included leading
oncologists, medical specialists, experts from hospitals across the country and
government officials. The list will be updated periodically, the department
said.
Manufacturers will be
required to display revised price lists on their websites and widely
disseminate them to retailers and hospitals. Retailers and hospitals must
charge the reduced prices from November 9 and display the revised rates at
their pharmacies. Hospitals will also have to prominently publish the updated
prices on their websites.
Given that a
substantial volume of anti-cancer medicines is supplied directly to hospitals
and medical institutions, these institutions will be responsible for ensuring
that the revised prices are implemented from the notified date.
State Drug
Controllers will take necessary steps to ensure compliance by manufacturers,
dealers, retailers, hospitals and medical institutions.
The government has
also emphasised that pharmaceutical companies must maintain existing production
and supply levels of the notified formulations to ensure uninterrupted
availability of medicines and prevent artificial shortages.
The rationalisation
seeks to balance patient affordability with legitimate manufacturer revenues,
while addressing excessive margins in the distribution and retail network.
Patients and consumers can check the revised prices through the NPPA's official website, nppa.gov.in, and the Pharma Sahi Daam mobile application.
The initiative is expected to provide financial relief to cancer patients and their families, many of whom face substantial out-of-pocket expenditure on treatment, while supporting the broader public health objective of ensuring equitable access to essential cancer medicines.
