Cancer Drug Trade Margins Run Up To 700%, Government Tells Supreme Court

Trade margins on non-scheduled anti-cancer medicines can range from 170% to 700% or more, the Centre has told the Supreme Court in an affidavit outlining its plan to cap them at 30% of the maximum retail price. The government expects the proposed measure to bring down the prices of cancer medicines by 20% to 70% and save patients around Rs 2,500 crore a year. The Department of Pharmaceuticals, under the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilisers, filed the affidavit on Oct. 12, that was viewed by NDTV Profit. It sets out how the government plans to identify the medicines covered by the cap and implement the proposed changes.