India's Cipla cuts prices of three cancer drugs

Following what Indian drugmaker Cipla (BSE: 500087) said was an “overwhelming response” on the price cuts made in May received from the patients and their families and doctors, the company is now announcing another breakthrough price reduction of as much as 63% in three additional anti-cancer drugs - erlotinib (its Erlocip brand) docetaxel (Docetax) and capecitabine (Capegard).

Lung cancer drug Erlocip would cost Rs 9,900 rupees for 30 tablets down from 27,000 rupees and 3,700 rupees for 10 tablets, down from 10,000 rupees. Erlotinib is the drug for which Cipla recently won a patent litigation battle with the Swiss drug major Roche (ROG: SIX) which markets the drug under the brand name Tarceva.

Breast cancer drugs docetaxel and capecitabine will now cost half the earlier price, to 7,000 rupees for 120mg, and 600 rupees for 10 500mg tablets respectively, the company said.