The National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority capped trade margins at 30 percent of the maximum retail price for 137 non-scheduled anti-cancer drugs on Saturday. The move targets excessive markups that previously reached as high as 700 percent in some cases and is expected to lower retail prices by up to 70 percent.

Revised prices take effect on November 9. The cap applies to both branded and generic medicines, including imported and domestically produced options. It covers widely used immunotherapies and targeted therapies such as pembrolizumab, nivolumab, palbociclib, osimertinib, bevacizumab, atezolizumab, daratumumab, olaparib, and enzalutamide.

The decision expands a 2019 pilot that applied the same 30 percent margin limit to 42 cancer drugs and reduced prices on 526 brands by as much as 90 percent. The current list includes drugs used for more than 20 types of cancer as well as treatments for breast, prostate, colon, ovarian, and cervical cancers.

India’s anti-cancer drug market generates roughly 12,500 crore rupees in annual turnover. Non-scheduled medicines make up the large majority of that total. The new rules exclude quantities supplied under patient assistance programs.

Manufacturers must notify the NPPA of revised prices within seven days of the October 17 gazette notification. They are also required to publish updated price lists on their websites and distribute them to retailers and hospitals. State drug controllers will monitor compliance.

The cap was approved during NPPA meetings on October 16 and 17. Officials cited the need to curb markups averaging around 170 percent while preserving a reasonable return for distributors and chemists. The policy is projected to generate annual savings of approximately 2,500 crore rupees for patients.