National List of Essential Medicines 2022

Context: The 163rd Report of the Committee on Petitions tabled in Parliament highlighted that many cancer drugs remain outside price control.

Cancer Drugs & Price Control –(Committee on Petitions, 163rd Report, 2025)

Current Scenario

• Many cancer drugs are not covered under the Drugs (Prices Control) Order, 2013 (DPCO) → no statutory price ceiling.
• Anti-cancer drugs under price control: 40 in 2011 → 63 in 2022 (National List of Essential Medicines 2022).

Impact

• Exclusion from DPCO has led to high and unaffordable pricing.
• Limits access for a large section of patients.

Committee Recommendations

• Expand DPCO coverage to include the maximum possible range of cancer drugs.
• Conduct regular market assessments for drug prices and availability.
• Monitor quality of generics – many doctors hesitate to prescribe due to a lack of WHO GMP certification.
• Improve access to new cancer drugs by addressing regulatory delays, insufficient domestic R&D, and pricing constraints.
• Enhance domestic research infrastructure and support the indigenous development of novel oncology therapies.
• Streamline regulatory pathways and prioritise value-based approvals.
• Encourage private sector and pharma companies to invest in high-level oncology research.

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