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NPPA cuts cancer drug prices, saving INR2,500 crore yearly

By Drooid · Oct 29, 2026 · How we work

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Summary

India’s National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) revised MRPs for 543 cancer drug brands, effective Nov 9.
NPPA capped trade margins at 30 percent for 137 non-scheduled anti-cancer medicines.
Government expects the cap to save patients about INR2,500 crore per year.
Generic and biosimilar prices fell up to 93 percent, e.g., palbociclib from INR40,421 to INR2,720.
At least 65 high-cost single-source drugs, including Keytruda at INR2,16,500 per 100 mg vial, remained unchanged.

History

The National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority, created by a 1997 government resolution, has overseen price caps on Indian medicines. It regularly revises maximum selling prices, exemplified by a 10 percent hike for over 800 drugs in 2022, and now applies similar controls to cancer treatments, enabling generic makers like Cipla to slash prices sharply while firms such as Novartis retain higher rates.

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The National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority, created by a 1997 government resolution, has overseen price caps on Indian medicines. It regularly revises maximum selling prices, exemplified by a 10 percent hike for over 800 drugs in 2022, and now applies similar controls to cancer treatments, enabling generic makers like Cipla to slash prices sharply while firms such as Novartis retain higher rates.

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