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| Edited By: Vivek Seal |Source: DNA |Updated: Mar 30, 2018, 03:05 AM IST
In a bid to control the high cost of cancer related essential drugs, the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) may enact Para 10 (B) on specific drugs if negotiations with drug makers to reduce prices fail, according to a government official.
The drug pricing regulator has powers under Para 10 (B) of the Drug Price Control Order (DPCO) to control and revise prices of decontrolled drugs, outside the purview of price control in cases of general interest of the public and consumers.
The NPPA has until now brought 27 non-scheduled medicines under price control by invoking Para 10 (B) of the DPCO.
Several major drug majors such as Roche, GSK, Novartis, Merck, Pfizer, Eli Lilly and Sanofi-Aventis etc have already launched their cancer drugs in India.
“We are collecting data from pharmaceutical companies on the cancer drugs market size, cost of production, packaging and possible mutually acceptable reduction on pricing, and are internally studying the data. If the prices of essential cancer drugs are not reduced, then based on public interest we may cut the prices by enacting Para 10 (B). The drug makers can apply and review with us for the prices …but I can not give you a timeline when the decision would be taken, right now we are at internal study stage,” a senior NPPA official told DNA.
Cancer drugs do not come under price control regulation of NPPA and these drugs cost anywhere between Rs 1-1.5 lakh depending on the type of cancer and phase for a month’s treatment. India’s cancer-drug market is valued at about $271 million and is expected to grow 16 % annually reaching $559 million by 2014, according to Datamonitor.
The Drug Controller General of India (DCGI), Surinder Singh, has also recommended that cancer drugs be brought under the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) to make them available to a common man.
However, the quantum of price correction for the drugs could not be ascertained immediately but industry sources that it could be between 20-25%. NPPA official declined to comment.
