Order October 27. NPPA invoked Para 19 of Drug Price Control Order 2013 public interest, fixed retail prices for 543 non scheduled anti cancer medicines includes biologics trastuzumab, rituximab, bevacizumab, bortezomib, imatinib, lenalidomide.
Background. NPPA study 27 anti cancer drugs under scrutiny, 2022 market Rs 8,000 crore, trade margin 300 to 500 percent. Hospital buys at Rs 10,000 sells at Rs 50,000. Example retail price of palbociclib fall from Rs 68,200 per bottle to Rs 27,350, while bortezomib 2 mg from Rs 8,062 to Rs 2,510 per vial. Trastuzumab 440 mg from Rs 75,000 to Rs 27,500.
Why now? Supreme Court PIL 2024 All India Drug Action Network sought price control for all anti cancer. NPPA did study found 80 percent import biologics, hospitals overcharging.
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Mechanism. Capping trade margin at 30 percent on Price to Stockist. Earlier MRP equals PTS plus 500 percent margin. Now MRP equals PTS plus 30 percent.
Industry reaction. Indian Drug Manufacturers Association says 30 percent unsustainable for cold chain biologics needs 50 percent. But NPPA says affordability over profit, cancer treatment cost Rs 5 to 10 lakh, drugs 60 percent, out of pocket pushes 60 percent families into poverty per Indian Council of Medical Research.
Earlier 2019 NPPA capped 42 anti cancer drugs price cut 85 percent led to 12 percent increase in consumption per IMS Health.
Access. NPPA asks companies to maintain stock, not withdraw, 15 companies told Roche, Biocon, Dr Reddys, Intas, Cipla. Overcharging to be recovered with 15 perce interest.
For patients. 14 lakh new cancer cases yearly, 9 lakh deaths, breast cancer leading, trastuzumab for HER2 positive breast cancer 25 percent breast cancers now affordable. Lung cancer osimertinib also cut.
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Also Ayushman Bharat PMJAY covers Rs 5 lakh but cancer costs higher, need top up. Tamil Nadu CM Comprehensive Insurance covers Rs 10 lakh for cancer model.
Need domestic biosimilars. Biocons trastuzumab biosimilar Canmab Rs 15,000 cheaper. More biosimilars need PLI scheme.
Enforcement. NPPA to monitor through price monitoring.
Tags: #NPPA #AntiCancer #DrugPriceCut #Trastuzumab #DPCO #CancerTreatment #Affordability #Biocon #PMJAY #PublicHealth