New Delhi, 18 October 2026: The central government has decided to reduce the prices of 137 medicines to provide relief to cancer patients. The National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) has set a limit on the profit margin for retailers and distributors on these medicines. According to the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers, this step can reduce the maximum retail prices (MRP) of these medicines by up to 70 percent. The new prices will come into effect from 9th of next month.
Pharmacies and hospitals will have to sell medicines at lower prices and display the new price list. Patients can check the revised prices of medicines on 'Pharma Sahi Daam' app and the website of the authority. The state drug controller will ensure that all companies, retailers and hospitals comply with the new rules.
The government says that the objective of this step is to make cancer treatment more affordable and to ensure that medicines are easily available to patients. Earlier, in 2019, trade margin limits were also imposed on 42 cancer medicines. At that time, the maximum retail prices of 526 brands of these medicines were reduced by up to 90 percent.
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