HIV and Cancer Drugs to be reduced in price : NPPA says
The National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) said that it has slashed up the prices of several essential medicines including those to treat cancers and HIV infections to 35%.
The drug pricing watchdog, NPPA, in its latest notification said that it has capped the price of antibiotic doxycycline (100mg) and revised ceiling prices of 23 medicines already included in the National List of Essential Medicines (NLEM). Patients should see a drop between 10% and 35% in the prices of these medicines.
NPPA said in its notification that manufacturers not complying with the ceiling price and notes specified herein above shall be liable to deposit the overcharged amount along with interest thereon under the provisions of the Drugs (Prices Control) Order, 2013 read with Essential Commodities Act, 1955.
The list includes drugs like Melphalan (2mg) and Melphalan (5mg), which are indicated for the treatment of multiple myeloma (a type of blood cancer), cancer of the ovaries and breast cancer. Chlorambucil (2mg), another tablet used to slow the growth of certain cancer cells in the body, also figures in the list.
NPPA has also revised the ceiling prices of antiretroviral drugs Zidovudine
(300mg) and the Lamivudine (150mg) + Zidovudine (300mg) combination, which are used in the treatment of HIV infections.By March end, pharmaceutical companies owed NPPA dues that exceeded Rs. 4,551 crore for overcharging patients. This amount had piled up over the past two decades.
According to the body, the NPPA has reduced ceiling prices of 428 essential medicines, including the 24 that it notified. Rajya Sabha was reportedly told that various drug pricing regulatory measures have helped consumers save Rs. 4,988 crore over the last two years.
