Paswan slashes prices of 886 drugs
The list includes anti-diabetic pills, antibiotics, cough syrups, pain killers and anti-hypertensives.
By TNN |
NEW DELHI: Chemicals minister Ram Vilas Paswan on Tuesday released a list of 886 medicines including top selling anti-diabetic pills, antibiotics, cough syrups, pain killers and anti-hypertensives, on which drug makers have slashed trade margins substantially, bringing the prices down up to 74%.
These drugs, manufactured on or after October 2, may take up to six weeks to reach the retailer with the new price tag.
Prices of anti-diabetic drugs like metformin, glucosamine, progestirone, anti-infectives like amoxycillin, cephalexin and ciprofloxacin and pain killers like diclofenac, ibuprofen, paracetamol, and promethazine will come down in the range of 0.2-74.5%, Mr Paswan told reporters.
The minister said the maximum number of formulation packs (strips of medicines of a specified strength, say 5 mg) on which prices have come down, was of Gujarat’s Cadila Healthcare, which slashed trade margins on 391 formulation packs. The range of price cut varies from 2% to 74% in the case of Cadila.
The price of its gentamycin injection branded as Germenta 20 ml, for example, will ease from Rs 32.10 to Rs 8.18 — a reduction of 74.53%. In some cases like albendazole tablets branded as Zybend, used to treat worm infestation, the price reduction is noticeable to the extend of Rs 428 or 17% for 20 strips of ten 400 mg tablets.
Ranbaxy’s new generation antibiotic cefuroxime axetil brand Zitacef 500 mg’s price would fall by 25% for four tablets from Rs 241 to Rs 181. Lupin’s anti-hypertensive brand Hypernil’s price will come down by 21.3% from Rs 1,128 to Rs 887 for 25 tablets. Its anti-allergy drug Lupicet’s price will reduce from Rs 1,880 to Rs 1,253 for a pack of 600 tablets — a fall of 33%.
Mr Lulla said that Cipla had earlier offered the government technology to make anti-retroviral drugs. Under-utilised public sector facilities could be used to make these drugs, he said.
These 886 drugs, which companies promote through chemists, represent about Rs 1,500 crore, nearly 5-7% of the Rs 27,000 crore domestic pharma industries. Mr Paswan would take the list, also published in Hindi, to the villages for public awareness.
These drugs, manufactured on or after October 2, may take up to six weeks to reach the retailer with the new price tag.
Prices of anti-diabetic drugs like metformin, glucosamine, progestirone, anti-infectives like amoxycillin, cephalexin and ciprofloxacin and pain killers like diclofenac, ibuprofen, paracetamol, and promethazine will come down in the range of 0.2-74.5%, Mr Paswan told reporters.
The minister said the maximum number of formulation packs (strips of medicines of a specified strength, say 5 mg) on which prices have come down, was of Gujarat’s Cadila Healthcare, which slashed trade margins on 391 formulation packs. The range of price cut varies from 2% to 74% in the case of Cadila.
The price of its gentamycin injection branded as Germenta 20 ml, for example, will ease from Rs 32.10 to Rs 8.18 — a reduction of 74.53%. In some cases like albendazole tablets branded as Zybend, used to treat worm infestation, the price reduction is noticeable to the extend of Rs 428 or 17% for 20 strips of ten 400 mg tablets.
Ranbaxy’s new generation antibiotic cefuroxime axetil brand Zitacef 500 mg’s price would fall by 25% for four tablets from Rs 241 to Rs 181. Lupin’s anti-hypertensive brand Hypernil’s price will come down by 21.3% from Rs 1,128 to Rs 887 for 25 tablets. Its anti-allergy drug Lupicet’s price will reduce from Rs 1,880 to Rs 1,253 for a pack of 600 tablets — a fall of 33%.
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“The price cuts will definitely have some financial implecations for the company. This, however, marks a shift in price management in the country with the government-industry relation shifting from confrontation to co-operation,” said Cipla joint managing director Amar Lulla. Mr Lulla said that Cipla had earlier offered the government technology to make anti-retroviral drugs. Under-utilised public sector facilities could be used to make these drugs, he said.
These 886 drugs, which companies promote through chemists, represent about Rs 1,500 crore, nearly 5-7% of the Rs 27,000 crore domestic pharma industries. Mr Paswan would take the list, also published in Hindi, to the villages for public awareness.
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