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Business
Karnataka FDA Calls Centre to Act on 254 Pharma Companies Over Price Gaps
✍️ Hindustan Times
🗓 28 Sep 2026, 08:18 AM
👁 21
The Karnataka Food and Drug Administration has requested the central government to intervene against 254 pharmaceutical firms, citing extreme price gaps between hospital supply costs and patient charges, with some medicines priced over 70 times their landing cost.
The Karnataka Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has formally asked the central government to take action against 254 pharmaceutical companies operating in the state. The complaint centers on a significant disparity between the prices at which drugs are supplied to hospitals and the amounts patients are charged, with some medicines listed at maximum retail prices (MRPs) more than seventy times their reported landing costs.
According to the FDA’s findings, the price gaps are not isolated incidents but a widespread issue affecting a large portion of the pharmaceutical market in Karnataka. The agency highlighted that such discrepancies can lead to financial strain on patients and undermine the transparency of drug pricing.
The FDA has urged the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare to investigate the pricing practices of the implicated companies and to enforce compliance with existing regulations. It also called for stricter monitoring of drug pricing to prevent similar occurrences in the future.
The central government is expected to review the FDA’s request and may issue directives to the companies involved, potentially leading to price adjustments or penalties if the allegations are substantiated.
According to the FDA’s findings, the price gaps are not isolated incidents but a widespread issue affecting a large portion of the pharmaceutical market in Karnataka. The agency highlighted that such discrepancies can lead to financial strain on patients and undermine the transparency of drug pricing.
The FDA has urged the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare to investigate the pricing practices of the implicated companies and to enforce compliance with existing regulations. It also called for stricter monitoring of drug pricing to prevent similar occurrences in the future.
The central government is expected to review the FDA’s request and may issue directives to the companies involved, potentially leading to price adjustments or penalties if the allegations are substantiated.