Cancer treatment is set to get cheaper for many patients in India from November 9. A revised price list published by the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA), based on company filings up to October 27, shows that 397 of 543 listed brand, strength and pack-size entries have lower maximum retail prices (MRPs), The Hindu BusinessLine reported.
Source: The Hindu BusinessLine
The average reduction among those 397 entries is about 50%, and more than 200 formulations have seen cuts of 50% or more, according to the BusinessLine report. The steepest cuts are on generics and biosimilars.
Source: The Hindu BusinessLine
The revision follows the NPPA's October 17 order capping trade margins at 30% on 137 non-scheduled anti-cancer drugs. The order invoked Paragraph 19 of the Drugs (Prices Control) Order, 2013, which allows the government to regulate prices in the public interest. These drugs are not on the National List of Essential Medicines and are not subject to direct price fixation under the usual provisions, the BusinessLine said.
Source: The Hindu BusinessLine
Under the order, companies must set MRPs based on the average price charged to distributors in March 2026, with the permitted trade margin capped at 30%, plus applicable GST. In percentage terms, the sharpest fall reported is on palbociclib, a breast cancer drug: a pack of 21 Palbopro 125 mg capsules drops 93.3%, from Rs 40,421.33 to Rs 2,720, according to a Mint report carried by TradingView.
Source: Mint via TradingView
The biggest cut in rupees is on thiotepa, a chemotherapy injection used before stem cell transplants and to treat bladder cancer: a 100 mg vial of Samtepa falls from Rs 80,071.86 to Rs 7,150.33 — a cut of Rs 72,921.53, or 91.1%. Pertuzumab, prescribed for HER2-positive breast cancer, saw its Hertumab formulation fall by Rs 64,358 per vial, from Rs 94,951 to Rs 30,593, the Mint report said. The NPPA estimates patients will save Rs 2,500 crore to Rs 3,500 crore a year — yaani Rs 25 billion to Rs 35 billion — in out-of-pocket spending, according to the same report.
Source: Mint via TradingView
Other examples in the revised list include RPG Life Sciences' Anastrozole (ANARZOLE), down from Rs 695.76 to Rs 73 for 10 tablets, a cut of 89%; Dr Reddy's Azacitidine (Azacytin) injection, down from Rs 6,337 to Rs 1,495.04, a cut of 76%; Abbott Healthcare's Bevacizumab (BEVACIZAB), down from Rs 21,767.70 to Rs 5,930.13, a cut of 73%; and Natco Pharma's Dasatinib (Dasanat 20), down from Rs 2,812.50 to Rs 1,085.93 for 60 tablets, a cut of 61%, according to a summary of the NPPA list by Tulsian AI.
Source: Tulsian AI (NPPA list summary)
Several expensive patented treatments keep their prices. The Hindu BusinessLine reported that Keytruda, nivolumab and osimertinib remain unchanged, limiting the relief for patients on newer therapies.
The new prices take effect on November 9, 2026. The NPPA portal will be updated continuously as manufacturers submit further revised prices, Tulsian AI reported. Queries sent to the Department of Pharmaceuticals and the NPPA were not answered immediately, the Mint report said.