Cipla slashes cancer drug prices by 64%

Drug major Cipla today slashed prices of its three generic cancer drugs -- Erlocip, Docetax and Capegard -- by up to 64%.

The drugs are used for treating lung and pancreatic cancer, breast cancer, head & neck cancer, gastric cancer, bladder, colorectal and colon cancers, it added.

The lung cancer drug Erlocip will now cost Rs 9,900 for thirty tablets against its earlier price of Rs27,000, while Docetax used for treating breast cancer, head & neck cancer, gastric cancer and bladder cancer will now cost Rs1,650 from its earlier price of Rs3,300, Cipla said in a statement.

Capegard, another cancer drug that treats breast, colon and colorectal cancer will now be available at Rs600 for 10 tablets from its earlier price of Rs1,200, it added.

"Continuing its contribution towards affordable and accessible treatment for patients, Cipla extends the work done in HIV/AIDS and malaria to now include cancer, not only in India but globally," Cipla chairman and managing director YK Hamied said.

Earlier in May this year Cipla had slashed prices by up to 76% of its generic drugs, used in treating cancers of brain, lung and kidney.

The move came on the back of the government permitting domestic firm Natco Pharma to manufacture and sell cancer treatment drug Nexavar at a price over 30 times lower than charged by its patent-holder Bayer Corporation.

In an order by Controller of Patents in March, Natco was allowed to sell the drug at a price not exceeding Rs8,880 for a pack of 120 tablets required for a month's treatment as compared to a whopping Rs2.80 lakh per month charged by Bayer for its patented Nexavar drug.