Cancer drug price cap will ease financial burden on patients: U.T. Khader

Mangaluru: Health and Family Welfare Minister U.T. Khader has welcomed the Centre’s move to regulate the prices of cancer medicines, saying the decision will help reduce the financial burden on patients and their families.

Khader said the cost of treatment for serious illnesses such as cancer was already a major challenge for patients, while expensive medicines added to their financial difficulties.

During an inspection by the Karnataka Food Safety and Drug Administration (FDA), officials had found significant price variations in cancer medicines manufactured by 254 pharmaceutical companies. The government had taken the issue seriously after noticing that medicines manufactured at relatively low costs were being sold to consumers at high maximum retail prices (MRPs), he said.

Khader said he had directed FDA officials to examine the price differences and take appropriate action. He had also asked them to bring the matter to the attention of the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA), the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) and other relevant central authorities.

He recalled raising the need to regulate cancer drug prices during a media interaction at Arogya Soudha in Bengaluru on September 9. He had urged the Centre to take necessary steps in the interest of patients.

Subsequently, available information on price variations, landing costs and retail prices of the medicines was submitted to the relevant central authorities along with supporting documents, he said. The media had also played an important role in bringing the issue into the public domain, Khader added.

He noted that a public interest litigation (PIL) had also been filed in the Supreme Court on the issue, bringing the price differences in medicines to the attention of the judiciary.

Against this backdrop, the NPPA’s action to regulate cancer drug prices was a significant development for patients, he said.

According to the information available to the minister, a cap of 30 per cent has been imposed on trade margins for 137 cancer medicines. The move is expected to bring down the prices of the medicines concerned, with the revised rates reportedly scheduled to come into effect from November 9.

Khader said cancer medicines must be available at affordable prices and families should not be forced to sell their assets or fall into debt to pay for treatment.

“Life-saving medicines must be available to ordinary people at affordable prices. Ensuring this is a key responsibility of the healthcare system,” he said.

Expressing confidence that the price-control measures would benefit cancer patients across Karnataka and the rest of the country, he called for continued coordination between the state and central governments to ensure transparency in medicine pricing and reduce unnecessary financial burdens on patients.

“The health of patients, the financial security of their families and access to affordable healthcare are our priorities. No patient should have to discontinue treatment because of the high cost of medicines,” Khader said, urging all concerned authorities to act responsibly in the interest of patients.