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Many Cancer Drugs Outside Price Control: Parliamentary Committee Report

22 Aug 2025 GS 3 Economy
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The 163rd Report of the Committee on Petitions, tabled in Parliament, has highlighted that a large number of anti-cancer medicines remain outside the ambit of statutory price control, resulting in high and often unaffordable costs for patients.

Key Observations

  • Increase under NLEM 2022:
    The number of cancer medicines under price control rose from 40 in 2011 to 63 in 2022 with the updated National List of Essential Medicines (NLEM).

  • Still outside DPCO coverage:
    Despite this, many oncology drugs are not included under the Drugs (Prices Control) Order, 2013 (DPCO, 2013) and therefore lack any statutory ceiling price.

  • Affordability issue:
    Exclusion has led to excessive pricing, limiting access for a large section of patients.

Committee Recommendations

  1. Expand scope of DPCO: Cover the widest possible range of cancer drugs.

  2. Regular market assessments: Continuous monitoring of drug prices and availability.

  3. Generics quality: Ensure generics meet WHO Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP), since many doctors hesitate to prescribe uncertified versions.

  4. Accelerated access: Address regulatory delays, limited domestic R&D, and pricing barriers that restrict timely availability of new oncology drugs.

  5. Strengthen domestic R&D: Enhance research infrastructure, promote indigenous development of novel cancer therapies, and encourage private sector investment.

  6. Regulatory reforms: Streamline approval pathways, adopt value-based approvals, and incentivize high-level oncology research.

  • NPPA's Role:
    The National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) is the government body responsible for regulating drug prices. 
  • The National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) is a government regulatory agency responsible for controlling the prices of pharmaceutical drugs in India. 
  • It was constituted on 29 August 1997 through a Government of India Resolution as an attached office of the Department of Pharmaceuticals (DoP), under the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers. 
  • Functioning as an independent regulator, the NPPA’s primary role is to fix and regulate the prices of drugs and ensure their availability and accessibility to the public at affordable rates.
Price Monitoring and Resource Units (PMRUs) :

Under its Consumer Awareness, Publicity and Price Monitoring (CAPPMS) program, the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) has established 12 Price Monitoring and Resource Units (PMRUs) across various States and Union Territories, with plans to expand them to all 36 States and UTs. 

These units aim to strengthen NPPA’s outreach at the state level and assist State Drug Controllers in ensuring the availability of medicines at affordable prices. 

The PMRUs are registered as societies under the Societies Registration Act, 1860 and function under the direct supervision of the respective State Drug Controller. 

Their governing structure, the "Board of Governors," includes nominees from both the state and central governments along with other stakeholders. 

The NPPA provides funding for both recurring and non-recurring expenses of these units.

Scheduled vs. Non-Scheduled Drugs:
  • Drugs are categorized as scheduled (subject to direct price control) or non-scheduled (regulated through other mechanisms, like trade margin limits)


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