Prices of 103 Drugs to Become Cheaper After NPPA Cap

The National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) has fixed the ceiling prices of 103 scheduled formulations of Schedule-I under DPCO 2016.

The National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) has fixed the ceiling prices for as many as 103 drugs. The drugs that are used to treat HIV/AIDS, bacterial infections, tuberculosis, high blood pressure, epilepsy, Hepatitis C and diabetes, will become cheaper.

The new prices will be effective from April 1, according to the NPPA notification on its website.

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‘A drug to treat cardiovascular diseases called Atorvastatin-40mg will now be available at Rs 17.91 per tablet down from Rs 18.41 earlier.’

“NPPA has fixed ceiling prices of 103 scheduled formulations by wholesale price index (WPI) for the preceding calendar year 2015, effective from April, 1 2016,” said the regulator.

With this move, drugs such as Tenofovir, Lamivudine, Raltegravir that are used to treat HIV/AIDS and Sofosbuvir, which is used to treat Hepatitis C will become cheaper.

For example, a tablet of combination drugs Tenofovir 300mg, Lamivudine 300mg and Efavirenz 600mg will now cost Rs 91.71 as against Rs 94.27 earlier.

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The ceiling price of a Raltegravir 400 mg is now fixed at Rs 139.25 down from Rs 143.13 earlier. The price of Hepatitis B drug Sofosbuvir-400mg has been fixed at Rs 619.31 down from Rs 636.56 previously.

Atorvastatin-40mg, a drug to treat cardiovascular disease will now be available at Rs 17.91 per tablet as against Rs 18.41 earlier. The NPPA has also fixed the retail price of two formulations–Hyoscine Butylbromide + Paracetamol Tablet and Methyldopa Tablet, under DPCO, 2013.

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The government caps prices of the key drugs based on the simple average of all medicines in a particular therapeutic segment with sales of more than one percent. The government regulates prices of all other medicines and companies are allowed to increase the prices of such drugs by only up to 10 percent in a year.

The government had notified Drugs (Prices Control) Order, 2013, which covers 680 formulations, with effect from May 15, 2014, replacing the 1995 order that regulated prices of only 74 bulk drugs.

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Source-Medindia