New Delhi, October 8, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Prices of around 110 anti-cancer medicines could fall by up to 70 per cent after the government decided to cap trade margins at 30 per cent of the maximum retail price (MRP) for all non-scheduled anti-cancer drugs, according to official sources.
The measure, expected to take effect later this month, will cover branded and generic medicines as well as domestically manufactured and imported products, including patented and non-patented drugs.
The government estimates that the decision will affect around 110 anti-cancer medicines, including 35 patented drugs. The intervention is aimed at addressing wide variations in trade margins across the supply chain and reducing the financial burden on patients undergoing cancer treatment.
Under the new framework, trade margins for all non-scheduled anti-cancer medicines will be restricted to 30 per cent of the MRP, irrespective of whether the products are branded or generic, or manufactured in India or imported.
Officials said the measure is intended to make life-saving medicines more affordable while ensuring that their availability in the market is not disrupted. Lower retail prices are expected to reduce the out-of-pocket expenditure of cancer patients, many of whom require treatment over prolonged periods.
The government estimates that the reduction in medicine prices could result in annual savings of around Rs 2,500 crore for patients. It expects the benefit of the lower trade margins to be passed on to consumers through reduced retail prices.
The move expands upon a policy introduced in 2019, when trade margins on select anti-cancer medicines were capped to address excessive pricing. The latest decision extends the trade-margin restriction to all non-scheduled anti-cancer drugs.
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