Supreme Court Calls 10-Fold Cancer Drug Price Hike 'Broad Daylight Dacoity'
· India · Hindustan Times, The Hindu
The Supreme Court on September 22 flagged a tenfold price disparity in essential cancer drugs, noting that a drug sold to retailers at ₹2,700 reaches consumers at ₹27,000, which the bench called blatant broad daylight dacoity. The bench of justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta questioned why the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority and the Department of Pharmaceuticals remain silent, and cited patients forced to sell homes and ornaments to afford treatment. The court posted the matter for September 29 for continued hearing after the Centre, represented by ASG KM Nataraj, was asked to respond. The petitions were filed by advocate Kishan Chand Jain and doctor Sanjay Kulshresthra seeking regulation of drug, equipment and generic medicine prices.
Why it matters
Cancer patients and their families bear the direct cost of the 10-fold markup, and a judicial push to regulate drug pricing could reshape how generic medicines are priced across India.
Read the original report — Hindustan Times
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