STAFF REPORTER / NEW DELHI
UNION Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers has said that 526 brands of 42 anti-cancer drugs showed price reduction up to 90 per cent following National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority – NPPA’s price rationalisation initiated in February 2019.
Invoking extraordinary powers in public interest, NPPA had launched a Pilot on Trade Margin Rationalisation for 42 anti cancer drugs as a step towards making the healthcare more affordable for cancer patients. The Pilot has led to annual saving of 984 crore rupees to cancer patients. The Ministry said, it is also a matter of great satisfaction that the Pilot has received immense support from all the stakeholders including patients support groups.
According to World Health Organisation, cancer is the second leading cause of death globally and in 2018 there were approximately 18 million cases globally, of which 1.5 million were in India alone. There were around 0.8 million cancer deaths in India in 2018 against 9.5 million globally. The numbers of new cases are estimated to double in India by 2040.