Prices of key drugs to get cheaper in India

Prices of key anti-diabetes, cancer and tuberculosis drugs manufactured by Sanofi (Euronext: SAN), Glenmark Pharmaceuticals (BSE: 532296) and Zydus Cadila, among other companies in India, are set to get cheaper. Antiviral and antibacterial drugs, antiretroviral drugs, and drugs used in COVID-19 treatment are also set to become more affordable.

The Indian government has revised the list of National List of Essential Medicines (NLEM) and added 39 drugs and removed 16 drugs. Medicines listed on the NLEM list are sold at prices controlled by the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA).

Commonly used drugs brought under the price cap include teneligliptin, an anti-diabetes drug, popular anti-TB drugs, ivermectin, used in COVID-19 treatment, and rotavirus vaccine, among others.

Most of the new drugs added to the list are anti-cancer drugs such as azacitidine and fludarabine. antiretroviral such as dolutegravir, darunavir+ritonavir, new generation TB medications such as bedaquiline and delamanid, anti-allergy montelukast, anti-diabetes drugs like teneligliptin and insulin glargine.

The move is likely to affect companies like Zydus Cadila, Sanofi Pasteur, Glenmark Pharmaceuticals and other domestic drug companies. At present, around 374 medicines are part of NLEM which are subject to price controls. About 18% of the drugs sold in India are under price control.

Health minister Mansukh Mandaviya released the revised list of NLEM at an Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) function. The ICMR has been working on the revised list.

The 39 new drugs include amikacin (antibiotic), bendamustine hydrochloride (anti-cancer), buprenorphine (opioid antagonists), buprenorphine+naloxone (opioid antagonists), cefuroxime (antibiotic), dabigatran (anticoagulant), daclatasvir (antiviral), fludrocortisone (corticosteroid), fulvestrant (anti-cancer), and irinotecan HCL trihydrate (anti-cancer), among others.

The deleted drugs from the NLEM list are alteplase (clot buster), atenolol (anti-hypertension), cetrimide (antiseptic), erythromycin (antibiotic), ethinylestradiol+norethisterone (birth control), ganciclovir (antiviral), lamivudine+nevirapine+stavudine (antiretroviral), leflunomide (antirheumatic), nicotinamide (vitamin-B) among a few others.

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