NPPA brings 80 plus medicines under Price Regulation

National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) has brought 80 plus medicines under Price Regulation. NPPA has fixed the price of 81 medicines including off-patent anti-diabetic drugs allowing due benefits of patent expiry to the patients.

NPPA has fixed the Retail Price of Insulin Human Injection, 200IU/ml and 70 per cent Isophane Insulin Human Suspension 30 per cent Insulin Human Injection 200IU/ml for M/s Wockhardt Ltd at Rs 106.65 per ml each excluding GST and Prasugrel Hydrochloride 10 mg as film-coated Aspirin 75 mg as enteric-coated Capsule'for M/s Torrent Pharmaceuticals Ltd. at Rs 20.16 per Capsule excluding GST with effect from March 17, 2021. Both the medicines were being sold at MRP of Rs 132.50 per ml and Rs 27.26 per capsule. With this price regulation, NPPA has re-assured the availability of medicines at fair prices to the public at large.

NPPA had granted price exemption for the above-mentioned formulations to the companies under Para 32 of the Drug Prices Control Order (DPCO), 2013 for five years due to a new drug delivery system developed through indigenous Research and Development. Price regulation was not applicable during the exemption period. NPPA in its meeting on March 10, 2021, decided to regulate the price of these formulations as per provisions of DPCO, 2013 as the exemption period has been over. This has resulted in a reduction of the prices of Insulin Human Injection, 200IU/ml and 70 per cent Isophane Insulin Human Suspension 30 per cent Insulin Human Injection 200IU/ml', causing a sizeable reduction over the existing prices. Now, these medicines have become more affordable to the public.

NPPA also fixed the retail price of 76 new drugs in the meeting dated March 10, 2021, to be launched by existing manufacturers including off-patent Anti-diabetic drugs allowing the due benefit of patent expiry to the patients.

In addition, NPPA fixed ceiling price of 2 scheduled formulation namely Povidone Iodine 7.5 per cent Scrub an anti-infective formulation and Levo-Thyroxine 37.5 mg tablet used for the treatment of Thyroid related diseases, causing considerable reduction to their present prices.

Revision in existing ceiling prices of scheduled formulations based on the Wholesale Price Index (WPI) was also approved by the Authority. The revised prices will be effective from next month.