API Supply Disruptions Push Govt to Raise Prices of Key Cancer Drugs

The ongoing conflict in West Asia has severely disrupted the supply of key Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs), impacting the domestic pharmaceutical sector.

To address these shortages, the government has authorised a price hike for essential medications, including the cancer drugs Cisplatin and Carboplatin, as well as two anti-tetanus immunoglobulin injections.

There were 82 Applications for price rise. The inter-ministerial committee recommended only four as above.

According to the copy of the notification, the prices of Cancer drugs Cisplatin and carboplatin have been revised.

In its notification, the government said, "The Authority noted that NPPA has been receiving requests for upward price revision of various drugs under para 19 of DPCO, 2013 from the manufactures citing various reasons like increase in cost of Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs); increase in the cost of production; change in exchange rate etc.; resulting in unviability in sustainable production and marketing of the drugs.”

“Companies have also applied for discontinuation of some of the formulations on account of their unviability,” it added.

Recently, ANI reported that chemotherapy drugs have disappeared from the market and the government has given a go-ahead after seeing the price rise of platinum. The pharmaceutical companies are going into losses and have stopped manufacturing and started stocking drugs.

"NPPA has sort it's opinion from DOP regarding prices of 82 medicines which were checked by the interministerial committee where the request have been made for an increase in the price of medicines of the war crisis." said sources.

According to the top Expert from AIIMS Delhi, these drugs play a crucial role in the treatment of cancer, such as head and neck, lung, ovarian, bladder, and gastrointestinal cancers.

“In my practice, I frequently integrate them with surgery as HIPEC and in multimodal protocols; their absence compromises neoadjuvant and adjuvant strategies, directly impacting survival and recurrence rates," the expert added.

He warned that these disruptions could compromise patient care, as shortages may force clinicians to switch to less effective treatment regimens.

(With inputs from ANI)