Cancer drug prices slashed up to 96%; How to check and confirm revised MRP

The revised maximum retail prices (MRPs) of 1,364 anti-cancer drug formulations came into effect on Monday following the government's decision to cap trade margins at 30%.

The National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) said 85 pharmaceutical companies had reported revised MRPs for 1,364 formulations covering 121 drugs as of November 8.

Of these, 679 brands reported price reductions of more than 50%, while the highest reduction in MRP stood at 96.45%.

“As a result of the price reductions the estimated annual savings to consumers is expected to be ₹3,540.38 crore,” the NPPA said.

The NPPA later released revised MRPs for 543 brands of anti-cancer drugs.

The MRP of Anastrozole, a tablet used in breast cancer treatment, has been reduced to ₹73 for a pack of 10 tablets from ₹695.76 earlier.

The price of Azacytin, an Azacitidine injection manufactured by Dr Reddy's Laboratories, has been cut to ₹1,495.04 per vial from ₹6,337.

Similarly, the MRP of Abbott Healthcare's Bevacizab injection has been reduced to ₹5,930.13 from ₹21,767.70 for a 4 ml vial.

The MRP of Debrumab 60 mg, a Denosumab injection manufactured by RPG Life Sciences, has been reduced to ₹5,941 from ₹22,031.25 for a 1 ml pre-filled syringe.

The price of Enuta, an Enzalutamide capsule from the same company, has been cut to ₹2,232 from ₹6,578.20 for a pack of 28 capsules.

The list also covers medicines such as Erlotinib, Fludarabine and Fulvestrant, besides immunotherapy drugs used in the treatment of more than 20 types of cancer.

How to check revised MRP

The NPPA said consumers can check the revised MRP printed on medicine packs and verify prices through the Pharma Sahi Daam mobile application or its website.

Chemists and hospital pharmacies cannot charge more than the revised MRP, it said.

Consumers can register complaints regarding overcharging or other pricing-related issues through the Pharma Jan Samadhan portal or contact the NPPA helpline at 1800-111-255.

The regulator said the revised prices would be updated as manufacturers submit further information on non-scheduled anti-cancer medicines.