Assam Slashes Prices on 137 Anti-Cancer Drugs

Guwahati: The Assam Drugs Control Administration ordered pharmacies, hospitals, and distributors to cut prices on 137 anti-cancer drugs. The new rates take effect on November 9. This order covers non-scheduled formulations, including patented medicines and combination drugs. Establishments must display updated price lists inside their shops immediately.

The move follows an October 17 notification from the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority. The agency capped trade margins at 30 percent. Prices could drop by 70 percent. Regulators acted because some drugs carried markups as high as 700 percent. The average markup sat at 170 percent.

The list includes drugs like Nivolumab, Olaparib, Denosumab, and Topotecan. Inspectors will sweep the state for 90 days. They want to ensure stores follow the new rules. Officials will punish violators under the Drugs Prices Control Order and the Essential Commodities Act of 1955. "Immediate and strict compliance is mandated," the Drugs Control Administration stated. This effort follows a similar 2019 intervention that capped margins on 42 other cancer medicines.