New Indian moves on pharma pricing

Early January 2015, the Indian government is to come out with a new list of life saving drugs whose prices would be controlled. A core committee, under the Director General of the Indian Council for Medical Research has been established to suggest a new list of medicines that can be brought under price control, reports The Pharma Letter’s India correspondent.

In order to keep a check on the price of essential medicines, the Indian government brought 52 new drugs under price control on December 19, including some commonly used painkillers and antibiotics, as also cancer medications.

Monitoring of drug prices has also been intensified in India. Pharmaceutical companies that tend to overcharge drugs listed in the scheduled category as well as outside the controlled category would soon receive more than a rap on their knuckles from the Department of Pharmaceuticals.