(a) whether the Government has reduced the prices of life saving medicines for
cancer i.e. Arlopic, Dosetax and Capguard;
(b) if so, whether the Government also proposes to reduce the prices of other life
saving medicines;
(c) if so, the names of those medicines and the time by which they are likely to be
covered; and
(d) if not, the reasons therefor?
MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) OF THE MINISTRY OF STATISTICS AND PROGRAMME IMPLEMENTATION AND
MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF CHEMICALS AND FERTILIZERS (SHRI SR1KANT KUMAR JENA)
(a) to (d): Life Saving Medicines are not defined in Drugs (Price Control) Order, 1995. Cancer medicines are non-scheduled
drugs. In respect of drugs not covered under the Drugs (Prices Control) Order, 1995 i.e. non-scheduled drugs, manufacturers
fix the prices by themselves without seeking the approval of Government / National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority. Also as
per IMS Health data available with NPPA, the details of Arlopic, Dosetax and Capguard life saving drugs for cancer are not
reported.
Under the present framework of price fixation there are no controls on the launch price of non scheduled medicines.
However, in the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Policy (NPPP-2012), the prices of National List of Essential Medicines-2011
are to be controlled and regulated.