📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
Health
India Caps Cancer Drug Trade Margins, Prices Could Drop 70%
✍️ India Today
🗓 08 Oct 2026, 09:02 PM
👁 11
The Indian government has capped the trade margin on cancer drugs at 30%, potentially slashing prices by up to 70%.
The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare announced today that the trade margin on all cancer drugs sold in India will be capped at 30%. This move is expected to bring down the cost of these medicines by as much as 70% for patients.
Under the new regulation, pharmaceutical companies can only add a maximum of 30% to the base price of a drug before it is sold to wholesalers and retailers. The government said the cap would apply to both branded and generic cancer drugs.
Health experts say the price reduction could improve access for patients who rely on expensive chemotherapy and targeted therapies. The move follows earlier efforts to make essential medicines more affordable.
The policy is part of a broader strategy to curb rising healthcare costs and is expected to be implemented across all states by the end of the fiscal year.
Under the new regulation, pharmaceutical companies can only add a maximum of 30% to the base price of a drug before it is sold to wholesalers and retailers. The government said the cap would apply to both branded and generic cancer drugs.
Health experts say the price reduction could improve access for patients who rely on expensive chemotherapy and targeted therapies. The move follows earlier efforts to make essential medicines more affordable.
The policy is part of a broader strategy to curb rising healthcare costs and is expected to be implemented across all states by the end of the fiscal year.