No Relief for Cancer Patients: MRP of Key Anti-Cancer Drugs Remain Unchanged
The NPPA's revised MRP list shows no price reduction for major anti-cancer drugs, leaving patients facing high costs for life-saving treatments.
In a significant blow to patients battling one of the most expensive diseases, the revised maximum retail price (MRP) list for non-scheduled anti-cancer drug prices has revealed that there will be no price reduction for major formulations. Effective from November 9, 2026, the latest data shows that the costs of critical chemotherapy and immunotherapy medicines remain stagnant, offering no immediate financial relief to those in need of life-saving treatment.
High Costs Persist for Patented Medicines
The updated list highlights that several patented medicines used to treat bone marrow-related conditions, blood cancer, breast cancer, and lung cancer have seen no price drop. For families already struggling with the financial burden of multiple treatment cycles, these figures remain daunting.
Some of the high-cost medications that maintain their previous pricing include:
- Alecensa (Alectinib 150 mg): Continues to be priced at Rs. 4,30,696.
- Phesgo (Pertuzumab and Trastuzumab 1200 mg): Remains at Rs. 4,93,266.
- Keytruda (Pembrolizumab 100 mg): An immunotherapy drug that stays at Rs. 2,16,500.
- Tagrisso (Osimertinib 80 mg): Continues to cost Rs. 1,38,830.83.
These medications, which come in various forms including capsules and injectable biologicals, are essential for patient survival, making their high cost a critical issue.
Concerns Over Affordability and Regulation
The National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) released the list of 543 anti-cancer drug brands on Tuesday evening. This follows an earlier move on October 17, where the NPPA capped trade margins at 30 per cent for 137 compounds under the regulation for non-scheduled formulations.
However, experts argue that capping trade margins is not enough to make these drugs affordable. K M Gopakumar, Co-convenor of the Working Group on Access to Medicines and Treatments, expressed deep concern over the findings.
"While the data exposes the scale of exploitation of patients by hospitals, the data also shows the inadequacy of the trade margin regulation to facilitate affordable access to medicines and healthcare," Gopakumar stated.
The Call for Urgent Action
According to Gopakumar, the NPPA list reveals a troubling trend where nearly 37 patented medicines, spanning 65 different formulations, have maintained their MRPs despite the new trade margin fixations.
He emphasized that since price caps on margins are not resulting in lower costs for the end consumer, the government must consider more aggressive measures. He suggested that compulsory licensing or government use are urgent requirements to introduce competition and drive down the prices of these life-saving medications.