Glenmark's Win: NPPA revises price of Telmisartan, Cilnidipine FDC after data review
New Delhi: Drug maker, Glenmark Pharmaceuticals' appeal against the earlier price fixation for its cardiovascular drug combination, Cilnidipine 20 mg and Telmisartan 40 mg, has seen daylight as the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) recently revised the draft working sheet for the retail price of the said formulation.
Glenmark markets the combination drug Cilnidipine 20 mg and Telmisartan 40 mg under the brand name Telmi-C. This combination is used to treat hypertension (high blood pressure), helping to lower blood pressure and reduce the risk of cardiovascular events such as heart attacks, strokes, and kidney damage.
The Authority’s decision to revise the retail price of Glenmark’s cardiovascular drug combination was followed by a review order issued by the Department of Pharmaceuticals (DoP) in October, directing the NPPA to reconsider the pricing.
Glenmark had contested the price of Rs 12.83 per tablet, set in March 2023, citing errors in the Price to Retailer (PTR) data for Ajanta Pharma’s Cinod T, a competing product. Glenmark highlighted that the PTR for Cinod T had been incorrectly recorded as Rs 148.57 instead of Rs 200, leading to an undervaluation in the price calculation.
Following this submission, the NPPA sought clarification from Pharmatrac, the pricing database provider. Pharmatrac confirmed the corrected PTR and updated its database accordingly. As a result, the NPPA revised the maximum price per unit for the drug to Rs 13.33, incorporating updated data for Ajanta Pharma alongside inputs from Alembic Ltd and JB Chemicals. The revised draft working sheet, released on November 29, proposes a retail price of Rs 14.15 per tablet, excluding GST.
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The formulation, manufactured by Akum Drugs & Pharmaceuticals Ltd. and marketed by Glenmark, underwent a price computation process based on market data from July 2022. Only companies with a market share of 1% or above were considered for the analysis. This led to the inclusion of three eligible companies with a combined Moving Annual Total (MAT) sales value of Rs 1,463.21 lakh. The average PTR of the eligible brands was calculated at Rs 12.20 per unit, and a 16% retailer margin was added, resulting in the revised retail price of Rs 14.15 per unit.
As per the draft working sheet, the price per unit for the drug combination ranged from Rs 11.56 to Rs 13.33, with an average of Rs 12.20. Alembic’s Cetanil-T had a PTR of Rs 11.72, JB Chemicals’ Cilacar-T was priced at Rs 11.56, and Ajanta Pharma’s Cinod-T had the highest PTR at Rs 13.33. Brands with negligible market shares or outlier prices were excluded to maintain fairness in the calculation.
The NPPA’s revised pricing aligned with its mandate under the Drug Price Control Order (DPCO), 2013, specifically Para 5, which emphasizes market-based pricing to ensure affordability. The updated retail price of Rs 14.15 per unit reflects an 8.48% reduction compared to the highest observed market price while balancing consumer affordability with sustainability for manufacturers and retailers.
