Govt caps anti-cancer drug margins at 30%

New Delhi, October 8: In a major patient-centric intervention, the government has announced a decisive regulation to cap trade margins at 30% of the Maximum Retail Price (MRP) for all non-scheduled anti-cancer drugs.
The sweeping mandate covers branded, generic, domestic, imported, patented, and non-patented life-saving oncology medicines. 
The move directly addresses the systemic issue of excessive trade markups between manufacturers and patients. It aims to dramatically improve affordability while ensuring that these life-saving therapies remain consistently available across the country.
It is expected deliver a 70% reduction in MRP, an estimated annual savings of Rs 2,500 crore, and reduced out-of-pocket expenditure for cancer patients.
According to official sources, building on the 2019 intervention, which delivered reported annual savings of Rs 984 crore across 526 brands, this measure reinforces the commitment to affordable, accessible and patient-centric healthcare. 

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Source & Wire Service: Prasar Bharati SHABD (DD / Akashvani News)