New Delhi, October 17: Prices of 137 anti-cancer drugs are set to fall by up to 70% after the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) capped the trade margin on them at 30% of the maximum retail price (MRP). The revised prices will apply from November 9, 2026.
The NPPA, which works under the Department of Pharmaceuticals in the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers, said the move was taken in public interest to curb excessive trade margins and make cancer treatment more affordable. How much the price of a particular drug falls will depend on its existing price structure.
Which drugs are covered
The 137 drugs are non-scheduled medicines, meaning they were outside direct price control until now. The list includes immunotherapy drugs used to treat more than 20 types of cancer.
It also covers Denosumab, used by breast and prostate cancer patients; Pegfilgrastim, given to prevent neutropenia (a drop in white blood cells) in cancer patients; and Bevacizumab, approved for colon, ovarian and cervical cancer. According to the department, widely used drugs such as Pembrolizumab, Durvalumab and Osimertinib are also expected to become more affordable.
The list was recommended by an expert committee set up under the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS). The committee included oncologists, other medical specialists, hospital experts and government officers. The list will be updated from time to time.
What changes on November 9
The trade margin cap has been notified under Paragraph 19 of the Drugs (Prices Control) Order, 2013. The gazette notification is dated October 17, 2026.
Manufacturers must inform the NPPA of their revised prices within seven days of the notification. They must also publish the price lists on their websites and share them with all retailers and hospitals.
From November 9, retailers and hospitals must charge the reduced prices and display them in their pharmacies. Hospitals must also show the revised prices prominently on their websites.
Because a large share of anti-cancer drugs is supplied directly to hospitals and medical institutions, the department said they will be responsible for charging the revised prices from the date of implementation. State drug controllers have been asked to ensure that manufacturers, dealers, retailers, hospitals and medical institutions comply.
Patients and their families can check revised prices on the Pharma Sahi Daam app and the NPPA website.
Supply to continue
The department said the cap is meant to control margins in the distribution and retail chain while protecting legitimate revenue for manufacturers and preventing artificial shortages. Pharmaceutical companies will have to keep production and supply of the notified medicines at current levels so that patients are not left without them.
Built on a 2019 pilot
The decision extends a pilot carried out by the NPPA in 2019, when trade margins on 42 anti-cancer drugs were capped at 30%. After that exercise, the MRP of 526 brands of non-scheduled anti-cancer medicines came down by up to 90%, according to the department.
Cancer treatment often places a heavy financial burden on patients and their families. The government said the wider cap is aimed at easing that cost and improving access to cancer medicines across the country.
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