Revised prices for 1,364 anti-cancer drug formulations take effect after margin cap on 137 drugs, with cuts of up to 96.45%

Revised maximum retail prices for anti-cancer drugs took effect on Monday, 9 November, after the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) capped trade margins on 137 of them at 30%, per India Today NE and Eastern Mirror. This piece is as of the evening of 9 November.

What changed

The NPPA, which works under the Department of Pharmaceuticals, acted on recommendations an expert committee of the Directorate General of Health Services made on 17 October 2026, per The Economic Times. The Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers said that as of 8 November, 85 companies had reported revised prices for 1,364 formulations covering 121 drugs, that 679 brands had cut prices by more than 50%, and that the steepest cut in maximum retail price was 96.45% (Eastern Mirror). The government estimates annual savings for consumers at Rs 3,540.38 crore (India Today NE).

India Today gives examples: Zydus Lifesciences' bevacizumab brand Bryxta 100 mg injection fell from Rs 25,995 to Rs 3,318, and Reliance Life Sciences' BevaciRel from Rs 24,079 to Rs 3,985. The Economic Times lists immunotherapy medicines and drugs such as denosumab, pegfilgrastim and bevacizumab among those covered, and names pembrolizumab, durvalumab and osimertinib.

Context and caveats

The Economic Times says the exercise follows a 2019 round in which the NPPA capped margins at 30% on 42 drugs, lowering the prices of 526 brands by up to 90%. It reports that the All-India Drug Action Network has argued that limiting prices without a continuing way to regulate trade margins could let excessive mark-ups return. India Today says the move followed a strong push by the Supreme Court, and that patients on expensive patented therapies may not see similar reductions because the exercise mainly targets trade margins rather than manufacturers' pricing; The Economic Times says the list includes several patented drugs.

What consumers can do

The ministry said no chemist or hospital pharmacy can charge more than the revised price, and that consumers can check prices on the pack, on the Pharma Sahi Daam app or on the NPPA website, and report overcharging through the Pharma Jan Samadhan portal or the helpline, 1800-111-255 (India Today NE, Eastern Mirror).