Cancer drug prices slashed by up to 93%: Centre caps margins on 543 brands from November 9

The central government has revised the prices of 543 anti-cancer drug brands, with new rates taking effect from 9 November. The National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority capped trade margins at 30% on 137 non-scheduled anti-cancer medicines, resulting in price reductions of up to 93% for generic and biosimilar drugs, though 65 high-cost cancer drugs remain unaffected. 

Meanwhile, the Supreme



Court questioned excessive markups across pharmaceutical supply chains, asking the Centre why margin caps should not apply to other essential medicines. The Karnataka government has mandated healthcare institutions to list both purchase costs and maximum retail prices on patient bills from 1 November, while pharmaceutical industry representatives highlighted high manufacturing, cold chain, and import costs.