Revised prices for 1,364 anti-cancer drug formulations have come into effect across India, and the anti-cancer medicine prices now in force follow a cap on trade margins by the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority. The new maximum retail prices took effect on Monday 9 November, and the government says the move will save consumers an estimated 3,540.38 crore rupees a year. The National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority, which works under the Department of Pharmaceuticals, capped the trade margin on 137 anti-cancer drugs at 30% of their maximum retail price, excluding GST.
The anti-cancer medicine prices were set on the advice of an expert committee constituted by the Directorate General of Health Services, which submitted its recommendations on 17 October 2026. The authority acted under paragraph 19 of the Drugs (Prices Control) Order, 2013, which lets it intervene in pricing in extraordinary circumstances in the public interest. The cap applies to 137 non-scheduled anti-cancer drugs, including patented medicines, across their strengths, forms and combinations, outside the usual ceiling-price system for essential medicines. The first list of 543 brands with revised prices was published on 27 October, and by 8 November, 85 pharmaceutical companies had reported revised prices for 1,364 formulations covering 121 of the 137 drugs.
The scale of the cuts is large. Of the formulations revised, 679 brands reported price reductions of more than 50%, and the steepest cut recorded is 96.45%. The price of Palbociclib 125 mg capsules, sold as Palbopro and used in breast cancer treatment, has fallen from 40,421.33 rupees to 2,720 rupees. Pertuzumab, another widely used cancer drug, has come down from around 83,000 rupees to about 38,000 rupees. Bevacizumab, sold as Bryxta by Zydus, fell from 25,995 rupees to 3,318 rupees, a cut of about 87%, while BevaciRel from Reliance Life Sciences fell from 24,079 rupees to 3,985 rupees, about 83%.
The anti-cancer medicine prices matter most to families paying for treatment from their own pockets. Cancer care in India often means months of medicine, and the anti-cancer medicine prices set under the new cap should show up in the printed price of each pack from 9 November. The anti-cancer medicine prices will be checked by the authority against company filings, and the department has said the revised prices must appear on packs and in the Pharma Sahi Daam app.
Anti-cancer medicine prices and the drugs covered
The anti-cancer medicine prices cover a wide range of treatments. The medicines include immunotherapy drugs used in more than 20 types of cancer, along with denosumab, used in the treatment of breast and prostate cancer, pegfilgrastim, used to prevent neutropenia among cancer patients, and bevacizumab, approved for colon, ovarian and cervical cancers. The price cut targets the trade margin, which is the markup added as a drug moves from the manufacturer through distributors and retailers to the patient. The authority’s formula anchors the retail price to the manufacturer’s point of supply, plus 30%.
The expansion behind the order is significant. The initiative has grown from 42 drugs in 2019 to 137 drugs in 2026, marking a major extension of the price-rationalisation exercise in the anti-cancer segment. Preliminary data released by the Department of Pharmaceuticals on 7 November showed 76 manufacturers had submitted revised prices across 1,225 formulations, with 1,031 showing direct price cuts, before the filings expanded to 85 companies and 1,364 formulations by 9 November.
Anti-cancer medicine prices and what patients should check
The anti-cancer medicine prices are now in effect, but the reductions will benefit patients only when they are reflected in what they pay. The department said no medicine retailer or hospital pharmacy would be permitted to charge consumers more than the revised maximum retail price, and patients can check the revised prices printed on medicine packages or verify them through the Pharma Sahi Daam mobile application and the NPPA website. The 3,540.38 crore rupee figure is a yearly estimate from the government, not savings already realised by patients, and the saving for any individual will depend on the medicine prescribed, the price reduction for that formulation and the quantity purchased. The cap reduces medicine prices, but it does not address the full cost of diagnosis and cancer treatment.