INDIA MOVES TO CURB CANCER DRUG COSTS, WITH PRICE CUTS OF UP TO 70% FROM NOVEMBER 9

October 18, 2026

NEW DELHI, OCTOBER 18: India is set to reduce the prices of 137 anti-cancer medicines by up to 70 per cent from November 9, as the government expands price controls to make cancer treatment more affordable.

The Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers announced that trade margins on the identified medicines will be capped at 30 per cent of the maximum retail price. The measure covers medicines including immunotherapy drugs used to treat more than 20 types of cancer, as well as treatments for breast, prostate, colon, ovarian and cervical cancers.

The decision extends an earlier government initiative introduced in 2019, when price controls were imposed on 42 anti-cancer drugs, bringing reductions of up to 90 per cent in their prices.

The latest intervention aims to ease the financial burden of cancer treatment on patients and their families by limiting trade margins across the distribution chain. The revised prices are scheduled to take effect nationwide on November 9.