NEW DELHI, November 7: Prices of more than 1,000 cancer medicines will fall from Sunday, November 9, when caps on trade margins for 137 anti-cancer drugs take effect, the Department of Pharmaceuticals said on Friday. Companies have reported revised maximum retail prices (MRPs) for 1,225 formulations, and 600 brands will be more than 50% cheaper, with the biggest cut at 96.45%. The government estimates patients will save ₹3,502.31 crore a year.
Key highlights
- From when: revised prices apply from November 9, 2026.
- Coverage: 76 companies reported new MRPs for 1,225 formulations of 121 drugs; 1,031 formulations show a price cut.
- Size of cuts: 600 brands down by more than half; the largest cut is 96.45%.
- Savings: about ₹3,502.31 crore a year for consumers, by the government’s estimate.
- Not yet launched: 10–15 of the 137 drugs are not yet sold in India; the margin cap will apply when they are.
| Medicine | Brand (company) | Old MRP | New MRP | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bevacizumab 100 mg injection (lung, colon, ovary, cervical cancer) | Bryxta (Zydus Lifesciences) | ₹25,995.00 | ₹3,318.00 | −87.2% |
| Abiraterone acetate 250 mg tablet (prostate cancer) | ABIRONE (Arvincare Pharma) | ₹41,250.00 | ₹3,218.23 | −92.2% |
| Palbociclib 125 mg capsule (breast cancer) | Palbopro (RPG Life Sciences) | ₹40,421.33 | ₹2,720.00 | −93.3% |
| Enzalutamide 40 mg capsule (prostate cancer) | ENZAPTOR 40 (Halsted Pharma) | ₹20,625.00 | ₹2,475.60 | −88.0% |
| Fulvestrant 250 mg injection (breast cancer) | FASNORM (Eris Lifesciences) | ₹30,421.87 | ₹3,671.73 | −87.9% |
| Denosumab 60 mg injection (bone loss in breast and prostate cancer) | DenOsteoRel (Reliance Life Sciences) | ₹24,955.00 | ₹6,240.00 | −75.0% |
| Pegfilgrastim 6 mg injection (prevents neutropenia) | PEG FILTERO (Hetero Healthcare) | ₹9,093.00 | ₹1,631.00 | −82.1% |
| Azacitidine 100 mg injection (blood cancer) | AzatiRel (Reliance Life Sciences) | ₹7,790.00 | ₹1,397.00 | −82.1% |
Prices are from the Department of Pharmaceuticals’ list of major brands. The percentage change is our calculation.
How the cut works
The National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) capped trade margins, the mark-up between what a company charges and the price on the pack, for 137 anti-cancer drugs. It acted on the recommendations of an expert committee set up by the Directorate General of Health Services, as we explained in our report on the October order. Companies then had to report revised MRPs. The department said that, as of now, 76 companies have done so.
What patients should do
- From November 9, check that you are not charged more than the revised MRP.
- Ask the pharmacist or hospital pharmacy about the revised price before paying.
- Compare brands of the same medicine, as revised prices vary widely between companies.
Our calculation
- About 84% of the formulations reported (1,031 of 1,225) show a price cut.
- In the examples above, cuts range from 75.0% (Denosumab, DenOsteoRel) to 93.3% (Palbociclib, Palbopro).
- For example, a pack of Palbopro 125 mg that carried an MRP of ₹40,421.33 will now cost ₹2,720.
What it means for India and Asia
Cancer treatment costs can push Indian families into debt, and newer drugs such as targeted and biological therapies are among the most expensive items. Big cuts on widely used drugs for breast, prostate, lung and blood cancers could ease that burden directly. India is also a major producer of generic medicines for Asia and Africa, and lower domestic prices will be watched by other countries trying to control drug costs.
What to watch
- Whether all companies selling the 137 drugs report revised prices.
- Enforcement against sales above the new MRP after November 9.
- Any change in availability of the affected brands.
A pharmacy in Varanasi (file photo). Image: Jorge Royan, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Photo source · Licence
Sources
The National Desk covers India's politics, governance, security and public-interest news. Stories are checked against at least two credible sources before publication.
