India Slashes Prices of 543 Cancer Drug Brands by Up to 90%

India's drug pricing regulator, the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority, has revised the maximum retail prices of 543 brands of anti-cancer medicines, with the new rates taking effect from November 9. Some drugs have seen reductions of as much as 90 percent, a move officials say could ease the financial burden on cancer patients.

The revised pricing list, which includes submissions from pharmaceutical companies up to October 27, covers multiple brands, strengths, and pack sizes across different cancer treatments. Among the steepest cuts is RPG Life Sciences' Anarzole, used for hormone-sensitive breast cancer, which drops from ₹695.76 to ₹73 for a pack of 10 tablets.

Other significant reductions include Dr Reddy's Laboratories' Azacytin injection, falling from ₹6,337 to ₹1,495.04, and Abbott Healthcare's Bevacizab injection, down from ₹21,767.70 to ₹5,930.13 per vial. Natco Pharma's Dasanat 20 and RPG Life Sciences' Debrumab injection have also seen sharp price drops, along with Palbopro, used for certain breast cancers, which falls from ₹40,421.33 to ₹2,720 for a pack of capsules.

Additional cuts apply to RPG Life Sciences' Enuta, Neon Laboratories' ERLIB, Hetero Healthcare's Fludanox injection, and Samtepa, a thiotepa injection whose price falls from ₹80,071.86 to ₹7,150.33 per vial. According to officials, the goal is to limit excessive trade margins and widen access to cancer treatment.

The price revision follows an October 17 government decision to rationalise trade margins on 137 identified non-scheduled anti-cancer drugs, capping margins at 30 percent of the maximum retail price under existing drug pricing regulations. Oncology specialists have welcomed the pricing overhaul, saying it could bring more uniformity to drug margins and help address counterfeit medicine concerns, while cautioning that manufacturers must still find it viable to produce low-cost life-saving drugs.