The National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) has released a list of 543 non-scheduled anti-cancer formulations and their revised prices, with some of the drugs seeing price drop to over 90 percent, while some of the high-priced formulations having the same Maximum Retail Price (MRP) despite the revision. This is based on data received from company till October 27, 2026.

Price of a strip of palbociclib 125 mg capsule under the brand Palbopro for 21 capsules, has seen a decline of 93.27 percent from INR 40,421.33 to INR 2,720 with the Trade Margin Rationalisation (TMR) implementation. MRP of another pabociclib drug isogen 125 mg with 21 capsules has seen the MRP dropping from INR 27,540 to INR 2,362.53 per strip, which is over 91.4 percent price drop. Thiotepa 100 mg injection (samtepa) per vial price has seen a 91.07 percent price drop from INR 80,071.86 to INR 7,150.33.

The central government has earlier this month announced imposition of a cap on the trade margin of non-scheduled anti-cancer drugs at 30 percent, across categories including branded and generic, domestically produced and imported, and patented and non-patented drugs.

An expert committee later listed 137 formulations for which the prices has to be revised with TMR and the move is envisaged to reduce medicine prices by up to 70 percent and help cancer patients save INR 2,500 crore annually, reducing the amount they pay from their own pockets, said the Union Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilisers.

The ministry announced that it is imposing a cap on the margins charged in the supply and sale of non-scheduled anti-cancer drugs, extending the price protection to non-scheduled cancer medicines, which are outside the list of essential cancer medicines that are already under the scheduled list and thus have a ceiling price control. The move will limit the margins added before they reach patients, it added.

However, many of the drugs priced over a lakh rupees per unit has seen the prices remaining unchanged, even after the trade margin rationalilsation.

For instance, MRP of talquetamab 40 mg injection (talvey) per vial remains unchanged at INR 4,41,077.11, tremelimumab 300mg/15 ml injection (imjudo 300 mg) per vial at INR 4,17,522.64, pembrolizumab 100 mg injection (keytruda) for 1 unit at INR 2,16,500, selumetinib 25 mg capsule (koselugo 25mg capsule) per 60 capsules at INR 10,21,992 per strip, MRP of vorasidenib 40 mg (voranigo) 30 tablet unit remains at INR 6 lakh, 10 mg strip of 30 tablets of the same medicine at INR 3 lakh, among others.

The authority has recently said that it is not mandatory for the oncology drug manufacturers who are revising the drug prices as per the recently announced TMR to recall, re-label or re-sticker the label of stocks released in the market prior to the implementation of the revised MRP, on condition that the manufacturer should ensure price compliance at the retailer level.

The drugs price regulator has ordered TMR of 137 identified non-scheduled anti-cancer drugs on October 17, in public interest to address excessive trade margins, make cancer treatment more affordable, and improve access to anti-cancer medicines. The revised prices will be effective from November 9, 2026.

Clarifying on the order, NPPA said, "Recalling, re-labelling or re-stickering on the label of container or pack of stocks released in the market prior to implementation of revised MRP is not mandatory, if manufacturer is able to ensure price compliance at the retailer level".

It added that following a request from the stakeholders, it has decided that the direction to create dedicated Drugs (Prices Control) Order (DPCO) matters section on the homepage of the company websites should be complied with not later than November 9, 2026.

The batch-wise production details and stock position of the formulations held by the company and distributors at the time of the publication of the order should also be submitted before November 9, and the information should be provided for as on October 31, 2026, it added.

According to the order, all the manufacturers are required to compulsorily report Price-To-Stockist/Price-To-Distributor and MRP of their formulations in the IPDMS portal of NPPA.

Besides, the manufacturer shall, upon demand by NPPA, produce documentary evidence demonstrating sufficient effort at disseminating the revision in price to all stakeholders including through advertisement, circulation of list to the dealers and retailers, creation of dedicated DPCO matters section on the homepage of the company website, and submitting batch-wise production details and stock position of the formulations held by the company and distributors at the time of the publication of the TMR order.

NPPA will not allow adjustment on account of sales return while calculating net sales for PTS/PTD, it said.

Considering that the revised prices for the 137 drugs will come into effect from November 9, the manufacturers of these drugs shall be eligible to have an annual price increase under the Para 20 (1) DPCO, 2013, from the date of implementation of the revised price. If there is no revision in MRP, the manufacturer shall be eligible to avail the annual price increase under the same provision after expiry of 12 months' period from last revision in MRP.