Anti-Cancer Drug Prices Fall, But Patients In Smaller Cities May Still Pay More. Here's Why

Cancer treatment is becoming cheaper. But for thousands of patients living in smaller towns, the biggest expense may not end with the medicine's price tag.

It could be the journey to find it.From November 9, the maximum retail prices (MRPs) of 543 anti-cancer medicine brands came down following a government intervention to curb excessive trade margins. The National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) expects the broader exercise to save patients around Rs 2,500 crore annually.Some reductions are dramatic.

A 100 mg vial of Samtepa, for instance, will cost Rs 7,150.33 instead of Rs 80,071.86. That is a reduction of nearly 91 per cent.For families paying for cancer treatment from their own savings, such cuts can make a meaningful difference.