Revised maximum retail prices for 1,364 anti-cancer formulations took effect across India on Monday, extending a trade-margin cap into the prices patients can legally be charged.
The National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority capped trade margins for 137 anti-cancer drugs following an expert committee recommendation made on 17 October. By 8 November, 85 manufacturers had reported revised prices for formulations covering 121 of those drugs.
The government said 679 brands recorded price reductions of more than 50 per cent, with the largest reported cut at 96.45 per cent. It estimates that the changes will save consumers ₹3,540.38 crore a year. The estimate is an official projection rather than a measured saving, and the scale of the reduction varies by brand and formulation.
The revised MRP is now the enforceable ceiling. Chemists and hospital pharmacies may not charge more, and patients can compare the price on a pack with the NPPA’s Pharma Sahi Daam service. Complaints about overcharging can be lodged through the Pharma Jan Samadhan portal or the authority’s helpline.
The intervention follows the Drugs (Prices Control) Order framework and is directed at the distribution margin rather than a uniform reduction in every medicine’s factory price. Its practical effect began on 9 November, when the revised retail ceilings became operative.
Official Department of Pharmaceuticals announcement
