Key facts
- India's drug price regulator has increased ceiling rates for cisplatin and carboplatin by 50%.
- The price hike is attributed to rising raw material costs and concerns over drug shortages.
- The ceiling rate for cisplatin increased to 10.89 rupees per ml, and for carboplatin to 90.74 rupees per ml.
- These drugs are essential for treating various cancers, including ovarian, lung, and bladder cancers.
- The price revision is a one-time measure and will be reviewed in six months.
India's drug price regulator has increased ceiling rates for two essential platinum-based cancer drugs, cisplatin and carboplatin, by 50% in response to significant shortages. The National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) invoked special provisions, citing public interest and concerns over supply disruptions, to raise the prices after federal government approval.
The price hike aims to ensure the uninterrupted availability of these oncology medicines, which are critical for treating various cancers. The ceiling rate for cisplatin has been raised to 10.89 rupees per ml from 7.26 rupees, while carboplatin's rate increased to 90.74 rupees per ml from 60.49 rupees, excluding taxes.
Industry executives and doctors attribute the shortages and rising raw material costs to dwindling supplies of platinum from key producers like South Africa and disruptions caused by Middle East conflicts. These factors have led to a more than doubling of platinum prices, prompting some medicine makers to temporarily halt production.
The NPPA stated that this price increase is a one-time revision and will be subject to review after six months. Several companies, including Cipla, Intas Pharmaceuticals, Naprod Life Sciences, and Venus Remedies, manufacture these vital cancer drugs.