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Cancer Drug Prices Slashed After Margin Cap
28 Oct
Summary
- Chemotherapy drug Thiotepa price dropped 91%.
- Breast cancer drug Pertuzumab price reduced 68%.
- Patented drug prices remained unchanged after the cap.
India's government has implemented a trade margin cap on 137 cancer medicines, leading to revised maximum retail prices (MRPs) announced by manufacturers. Notable reductions include Thiotepa, a chemotherapy drug, which saw its price fall by 91% from R80,071 to R7,150 per 100mg vial. Similarly, the breast cancer immunotherapy drug Pertuzumab experienced a 68% price decrease, from R94,951 to R30,593 per 30mg vial.
Despite these significant cuts for some formulations, the prices of all patented drugs, such as pembrolizumab (Keytruda) and ribociclib (Kisqali), remained unchanged. These essential medicines, used for various cancers, continue to be unaffordable for many patients. Experts suggest that trade margin rationalization is unlikely to impact patented drug prices due to a lack of competition, questioning the effectiveness of the measure.
Concerns are raised that the margin cap, applied at the first point of sale, may be manipulated. For patented medicines, alternative solutions like compulsory licensing or government utilization of patents might be necessary to ensure affordability. Many drugs included in a previous pilot project in 2019 saw no price reduction, indicating limited success in cost control.
