Centre to cap trade margins at 30% of MRP on non-scheduled anti-cancer drugs
8 October 2026
The Centre will cap trade margins at 30% of the maximum retail price (MRP) for non-scheduled anti-cancer drugs.
The cap covers branded and generic, domestic and imported, patented and non-patented products.
Officials estimate MRP cuts of up to 70% and savings of about ₹2,500 crore a year.
An NPPA analysis found an average trade mark-up of about 170%, with some reaching 700%.
Non-scheduled drugs sit outside price ceilings under the Drugs (Prices Control) Order, 2013.
In 2019 the NPPA capped trade margins on 42 anti-cancer drugs.
In plain words
NPPA National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority — The body that fixes and monitors prices of medicines under the DPCO.
DPCO 2013 Drugs (Prices Control) Order, 2013 — The order that sets price ceilings for scheduled medicines.
MRP Maximum Retail Price — The highest price at which a product may be sold to consumers.