Pharma Companies Told to Cut Prices of 17 Duty Exempt Cancer Drugs
New Delhi: In a follow-up to the customs duty relief on essential medicines, the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) has directed manufacturers and marketing companies of the 17 life-saving drugs exempted from basic customs duty (BCD) to revise their maximum retail prices (MRPs) and inform the Authority.
The directive comes pursuant to the Department of Revenue, Ministry of Finance Notification 02/2026–Customs dated 01.02.2026, which granted BCD exemption to 17 additional drugs and medicines, primarily used in cancer treatment. With this, the total number of medicines covered under BCD exemption has reached 129.
NPPA stated that, as per the Drugs (Prices Control) Order (DPCO), 2013, the MRP of drugs and formulations is inclusive of applicable taxes and duties. Therefore, any reduction or elimination of duties must be reflected in the MRP, and the benefit arising from the exemption should be passed on to consumers.
The Authority has instructed companies to submit details of the revised prices through Form V. NPPA further stated that manufacturers shall issue a price list or supplementary price list to dealers, State Drugs Controllers, and the Government indicating the revised prices.
Earlier the Medical Dialogues Team had reported that in a major patient-focused relief measure, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced a full exemption of basic customs duty (BCD) on 17 life-saving drugs, many of them advanced cancer therapies, while extending duty-free personal import benefits to treatments for seven additional rare diseases.
Presenting her budget, Sitharaman said the move is aimed at reducing the financial burden on families dependent on high-cost imported medicines. “To provide relief to patients, particularly those suffering from cancer, I propose to exempt basic customs duty on 17 drugs or medicines,” she stated during her speech.
The exemption covers targeted therapies and immunotherapies used in difficult-to-treat cancers. The drugs include Ribociclib, Abemaciclib, Talycabtagene autoleucel, Tremelimumab, Venetoclax, Ceritinib, Brigatinib, Darolutamide, Toripalimab, Serplulimab, Tislelizumab, Inotuzumab ozogamicin, Ponatinib, Ibrutinib, Dabrafenib, Trametinib, and Ipilimumab.
In view of the above, the NPPA notifies,
"All the manufacturers and marketing companies selling drugs/formulations mentioned in the above referred notification are required to revise the MRP of drugs/formulations on account of exemption of custom duty. Information about the revision is required to be submitted through Form V and the manufacturers shall issue a price list or supplementary price list to the dealers, State Drugs Controllers and the Government indicating changes."
To view the official notice, click the link below:
