India widens cancer drug price caps, lowering prices of 137 medicines

India will ​reduce the ​prices of ‌as many as ​137 cancer drugs by 70%, the Ministry ‌of Chemicals and Fertilizers said on Saturday, as it widened price controls in ‌a bid to make treatment more affordable. Trade ‌margins on the drugs will be limited to 30% of the maximum retail price, ⁠the ​ministry ⁠added.

The medicines, which include immunotherapy drugs used ⁠for treating over 20 types of cancer, as ​well as for breast, prostate, colon, ⁠ovarian and cervical cancer, will be subject ⁠to the ​price changes from November 9. The latest decision builds on price ⁠controls introduced in 2019 on 42 anti-cancer drugs ⁠that ⁠cut prices by as much as 90%.