Government today gave a pleasing news to all the cancer patients by lowering down the extensively priced drug trastuzumab, a life saving medicine in breast cancer by 25 percent to Rs 55,800 per injection than the innovator Roche’s drug, Herceptin at Rs. 75,000 per dose, among other oncology drugs.
Other drugs as well brought into price control and the second one is Pegylated Interferon used in Cancer and hepatitis C treatment. The drug now priced at Rs. 14,515 per 100 mcg. The price revision followed key medicines used in the treatment of Cancer, Hepatitis C and B. These drugs were added in the National list of Essential Medicines earlier in the year.
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This is the first time drug pricing regulator, NPPA, fixing the ceiling on the biological breast cancer drug.
In the notification by the NPPA issued on May 9 has stated that the new prices take place with an immediate effect. NPPA made 11 more drugs cheaper mostly, mostly anti-diabetic formulations. “it would seek some additional time to make the changes in the price packs,” said industry body, IDMA.
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The Copies of trastuzumab manufactured by Bicoin and Zydus Cadila are also available in the market but at larger price than the government has set now.
“The move will benefit retail patients, and those who cannot procure the drug at a discounted rate, from a government (CGHS) or institutional scheme,” said Biocon chaiperson and MD Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw which markets trastuzumab.
AT the other hand Leena Menghany, an activist and lawyer said, “Pharma companies charge high premiums for branded biological medicines such as anticancer drug, trastuzumab to maximise profits. The current system devised by NPPA of fixing prices based on an average MRPs of the brands in the market works against patients and consumer interests and leaves essential medicines out of reach for most.The ceiling price for the breast cancer drug trastuzumab listed by the NPPA is Rs. 55812 for 440 mcg and does not bring any relief to patients and their families who are going into debt or going without the treatment due to the costs.”
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By Prajakt K.
