Cancer patients to benefit as drug prices slashed by up to 85%

The initiative covers medications required in chemotherapy, targeted therapy, supportive care, as well as antibiotics, antifungals, and at least 260 other drugs. The cost reduction is expected to be substantial, not only reducing out-of-pocket expenses for patients but also freeing up hospital funds for other critical initiatives

Mumbai: Cancer patients can expect a significant reduction in treatment costs, after the National Cancer Grid (NCG) negotiated discounts of up to 85% for bulk procurement of key cancer medicines. The discount, applicable to 50 hospitals that are members of the NGC, will also allow essential drugs to reach even remote areas where pharma companies were earlier reluctant to supply medicines due to the high costs of transport etc.

Cancer patients to benefit as drug prices slashed by up to 85%

The NCG, funded by the Department of Atomic Energy, involves over 380 healthcare institutions, research centres, and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) across India and 15 other countries. According to the NGC’s convenor and the Tata Memorial Centre’s director Dr. C.S. Pramesh, the initiative aims to ensure that patients have access to high-quality drugs at reduced costs.

The discount was announced during the NGC’s annual meeting on August 2, held at the Tata Memorial Center. Of the many healthcare centres that attended the meeting, 50 hospitals will benefit from the cheaper drugs, while the NGC tries to expand the negotiations to apply to all its member-hospitals. Dr Pramesh said that this marks the second cycle of the programme, whose pilot was launched in 2019, involving 40 drugs which could be bought in bulk at discounted prices across 23 healthcare centres.

The recent development comes after the NGC assured pharma companies of a higher-volume of demand for high quality essential drugs. “Previously, companies were reluctant to supply such medicines to smaller hospitals in rural areas due to higher costs,” said Dr Pramesh. He added, “This will especially benefit those with advanced-stage cancers, who require larger quantities of medicines. With this agreement, remote hospitals will not face the stockouts they usually did, as companies are now bound to supply.” The NGC has already issued tenders to pharma companies specifying the volume of drugs needed at the 50 healthcare facilities that benefit from this deal.

The initiative covers medications required in chemotherapy, targeted therapy, supportive care, as well as antibiotics, antifungals, and at least 260 other drugs. “The cost reduction is expected to be substantial, not only reducing out-of-pocket expenses for patients but also freeing up hospital funds for other critical initiatives,” Dr Pramesh added.

The head of the hematology oncology department at BJ Wadia hospital, Dr Sangeeta Mudaliar said that the initiative would particularly benefit cancer patients opting for chemotherapy as it is one of the major expenses in cancer treatment. She added that in cancer treatment, a large proportion of the expenses came from the drugs, antibiotics, blood and radiology tests.

“Patients will be the primary beneficiaries, and for charitable trusts like Wadia, the cancer treatment cost will come down significantly making it affordable and sustainable,” said Dr Mudaliar.

CEO of Cancer Patients Aid Association, Alka S Bisen said, “Medicines form the biggest share of expenses for cancer patients, often forcing families to spend heavily out of pocket.” Until now, patients had to buy drugs at maximum retail prices (MRP), with only hospitals like the Tata Memorial Hospital (TMH) offering medicines at subsidised rates. With group procurement, over 200 types of drugs will now be available at much lower prices across NCG-member hospitals.

Bisen added that the reduction in treatment costs will also prevent delays in care. “Many patients, especially from rural districts, are diagnosed only at advanced stages because specialised centres are far away. With several new cancer centres opening under the NCG umbrella, patients can now access timely treatment closer to home, easing the burden on big city hospitals like TMH in Mumbai,” Bisen said. “This collective effort ensures that a larger number of patients can be assisted with treatment. For many who simply could not afford cancer therapy earlier, this could make all the difference,” she added.

Patients have welcomed the move, noting that affordable, timely access to medicines will ease the financial burden on their families and reduce the pressure on cancer centres in metro cities like Mumbai.