Supreme Court orders cheaper prices for 137 Indian cancer drugs
Prices on 137 medicines will drop by as much as 70 percent starting next month following a Supreme Court order.
By Megan Greco ·
India will lower the cost of 137 cancer treatments starting next month.
The new pricing rules cap trade margins at 30 percent. This move follows a Supreme Court ruling that called current markups "extortion" and "carnage."
The case was brought by Sarojam Radhakrishnan, a retired bank clerk from Kerala. She was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2021. Her doctors prescribed targeted treatments that cost over 63,000 rupees each month. That amount was more than her family could afford.
Radhakrishnan filed a petition in 2022. The case reached the highest court in September 2026. Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta reviewed the supply chain. They noted one drug sold to hospitals for 2,700 rupees was priced at 27,000 rupees for patients.
The National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority found average markups of 170 percent on some drugs. In extreme cases, markups exceeded 700 percent. A 30 percent cap already applied to 42 cancer drugs. The government has now extended that cap to 137 additional medicines.
The Department of Pharmaceuticals stated the change should cut medicine prices by up to 70 percent. It estimated patients will save 2,500 crore rupees annually. That sum is roughly 199 million pounds.
The Supreme Court has asked government lawyers to explain why the cap applies only to cancer drugs. The government must respond by 27 October. The court also questioned why the rule does not cover all non-patented medicines.
Radhakrishnan died in September 2022 while her case was pending. She did not see the final ruling. The country records about 1.56 million new cancer cases each year. This number is up from 1.39 million in 2020.
Dr. Ravi Kannan, a surgical oncologist in Assam, called the decision a welcome step. He noted that many families start treatment but cannot sustain it. The government's Ayushman Bharat scheme provides 500,000 rupees of annual coverage per family. That amount equals the cost of one dose of the breast cancer drug Kadcyla. Patients may need up to 14 doses.
Jyotsna Singh, a co-convener for a medicines access group, said a total overhaul of healthcare is needed. She warned that hospitals might raise other charges to offset lower drug costs. The court’s order aims to reduce the financial burden on patients who often skip treatment or sell land to pay for care.
Source: The Guardian
