India caps trade margins on 137 anti-cancer drugs at 30 percent, prices expected to fall up to 70 percent

The National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority capped trade margins on 137 non-scheduled anti-cancer drug formulations at 30 percent of the maximum retail price on October 17, 2026, in a move expected to reduce prices of cancer medicines by up to 70 percent and save patients approximately 2,500 crore rupees annually. The intervention, effective November 9, covers widely used therapies including pembrolizumab, durvalumab and osimertinib, and builds on a 2019 pilot exercise that capped margins for 42 anti-cancer drugs and resulted in price reductions of up to 90 percent across 526 brands. NPPA market analysis found that trade markups on non-scheduled anti-cancer medicines averaged around 170 percent, with some reaching 700 percent or more, widening the gap between manufacturer prices and patient costs.

The measure represents a significant regulatory intervention to address excessive pharmaceutical margins and improve cancer treatment affordability in India's out-of-pocket healthcare system. Manufacturers must submit revised prices within seven days and display them on websites, while retailers and hospitals must charge reduced prices from November 9 and prominently display the new pricing. The government's willingness to expand price controls beyond scheduled drugs signals a broader policy shift toward regulating high-cost specialty pharmaceuticals where private markups have historically been unchecked.

Sources

Daily Excelsior, October 18, 2026, dailyexcelsior.com; ANI News, October 17, 2026, aninews.in; The Print, October 17, 2026, theprint.in; Business Upturn, October 17, 2026, businessupturn.com; Crack Target current affairs, October 17, 2026, cracktarget.com