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Centre caps trade margin on cancer medicines at 30 percent to provide relief
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News18•08-10-2026, 17:17
Centre caps trade margin on cancer medicines at 30 percent to provide relief
- •The Centre has capped the maximum trade margin for all non-scheduled anti-cancer medicines at 30 percent of the MRP.
- •The new decision could reduce the MRP of certain cancer medicines by up to 70 percent.
- •An estimated Rs 2,500 crore is expected to be saved annually, significantly reducing out-of-pocket expenditure for patients.
- •The rule applies to both branded and generic anti-cancer drugs, including domestic, imported, patented, and non-patented medicines.
Key Questions Answered
The Centre has capped the maximum trade margin for all non-scheduled anti-cancer medicines at 30 percent of the MRP to curb excessive commercial profits and reduce treatment costs for patients.
Government estimates indicate that the new decision could reduce the MRP of certain anti-cancer medicines by up to 70 percent, leading to an estimated annual savings of around Rs 2,500 crore for patients and their families.
Yes, the government took a similar step back in 2019 to control anti-cancer drug prices, which resulted in an annual saving of about Rs 984 crore across 526 brands.
