Cancer drugs to get cheaper in India from November 9: Full list of 137 medicines and how much you could actually save

With the latest notification, the medicines, which include immunotherapy drugs used for treating over 20 types of cancer, as well as for breast, prostate, colon, ovarian and cervical cancer, will be subject to the price changes from November 9.

Anti-cancer drugs are set to become cheaper in India from November 9. The Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers said in a statement that as many as 137 cancer drugs have been included in the Trade Margin Rationalisation (TMR), in a bid to make treatment more affordable.

With the latest notification, the medicines, which include immunotherapy drugs used for treating over 20 types of cancer, as well as for breast, prostate, colon, ovarian and cervical cancer, will be subject to the price changes from November 9.

"The MRP of widely used anti-cancer drugs such as Pembrolizumab, Durvalumab and Osimertinib is expected become more accessible for cancer patients," the ministry said in a press release.

The latest decision builds on price controls introduced in 2019 on 42 anti-cancer drugs that cut prices by as much as 90%.

India to slash prices of cancer drugs: How much you could save now?

The ministry said the intervention is expected to bring down the MRP of the identified non-scheduled anti-cancer drugs by up to 70 percent, depending on their existing price structures.

Trade margins on the drugs will be limited to 30 percent of the maximum retail price, the ministry added.

"NPPA has capped trade margin at 30% of the Maximum Retail Price (MRP), in accordance with Paragraph 19 of the Drugs (Prices Control) Order (DPCO), 2013," the ministry said, adding, "This measure is expected to bring significant relief to the many patients and families affected by cancer, who often face high financial burden due to high cost of treatment."

The revised prices will take effect on November 9, 2026.

Calculation of prices:

Maximum Retail Price (MRP) = Price to Stockist/Price to Distributor (PTS/PTD) x { 1 + (TM/ (100 − TM)) } + Applicable GST

Where TM = Trade Margin not exceeding 30

Where PTS/PTD = PTS/PTD for the month of March-2026

Example: For a non-scheduled anti-cancer formulation:

Current MRP : ₹300 + Applicable GST

PTS/PTD: ₹70

Maximum allowable revised MRP as per formula given in official notification shall be:

₹70x{1+(30/(100−30))} = ₹100 + Applicable GST

Full list of 137 cancer drugs to get cheaper from Nov 9

According to the ministry, the 137 identified non-scheduled anti-cancer drugs include:

1. Immunotherapy drugs used for treating over 20 type of cancers

2. Denosumab used by breast and prostate cancer patients

3. Pegfilgrastim used to prevent neutropenia in cancer patients

4. Bevacizumab, an approved drug to treat colon, ovarian, and cervical cancer.

Sr. No.	Name of the Drug	Sr. No.	Name of the Drug
1	Abemaciclib	70	Lenvatinib
2	Abiraterone acetate	71	Lomustine
3	Acalabrutinib	72	Lorlatinib
4	Afatinib	73	Lymphoseek kit
5	Alectinib	74	Megestrol
6	Alpelisib	75	Midostrurin
7	Amivantamab	76	Mirvetuximab soravtansine
8	Anastrazole	77	Mitomycin
9	Apalutamide	78	Mitoxantrone
10	Asciminib	79	Nelarabine
11	Atezolizumab	80	Netupitant
12	Avelumab	81	Nilotinib
13	Axitinib	82	Nimotuzumab
14	Azacitidine	83	Nintedanib
15	Belantamab Mafodotin	84	Niraparib
16	Bevacizumab	85	Nivolumab
17	Bosutinib	86	Obinutuzumab
18	Brentuximab Vedotin	87	Ofatumumab
19	Brigatinib	88	Olaparib
20	Busulfan	89	Osimertinib
21	Cabazitaxel	90	Palbociclib
22	Cabozantinib (S) – Maleate	91	Panitumumab (Vectibix)
23	Capmatinib	92	Pazopanib (as Hydrochloride)
24	Carfilzomib	93	Pegasparginase
25	Carmustine	94	Pegfilgrastim
26	Ceritinib	95	Pegylated interferon Alpha 2B
27	Cetuximab	96	Pembrolizumab
28	Cladribine	97	Pemetrexed
29	Clofarabine	98	Pertuzumab
30	Crizotinib	99	Pertuzumab + Trastuzumab
31	Cytarabine	100	Plerixafor
32	Dabrafenib	101	Polatuzumab Vedotin
33	Dacomitinib	102	Pomalidomide
34	Daratumumab	103	Ramucirumab
35	Darolutamide	104	Regorafenib
36	Dasatinib	105	Relugolix
37	Datopotamab Deruxtecan	106	Ribociclib
38	Decitabine	107	Rucaparib
39	Degarelix	108	Ruxolitinib
40	Denosumab	109	Selpercatinib
41	Dostarlimab	110	Selumetinib
42	Durvalumab	111	Serplulimab
43	Elranatamab	112	Sotorasib
44	Enfortumab vedotin	113	Sunitinib
45	Entrectinib	114	Talquetamab
46	Enzalutamide	115	Teclistamab
47	Epirubicin	116	Tegafur + Uracil
48	Erdafitinib	117	Tegafur, Gimeracil and Oteracil
49	Eribulin mesylate	118	Temsirolimus
50	Erlotinib	119	Tepotinibe
51	Estramustine	120	Thiotepa
52	Everolimus	121	Tislelizumab
53	Exemestane	122	Tocilizumab
54	Fludarabine	123	Topotecan
55	Fulvestrant	124	Toripalimab
56	Gilteritinib	125	Trabectedin
57	Goserelin acetate	126	Trametinib
58	Ibritumomab	127	Tremelimumab
59	Ibrutinib	128	Treosulfan
60	Idelalisib	129	Trifluridine + Tipiracil
61	Ifosfamide & Mesna	130	Triptorelin
62	Nivolumab and Relatimab	131	Tucatinib
63	Pegylated Liposomal Irinotecan	132	Vemurafenib
64	Inotuzumab Ozogamicin	133	Venetoclax
65	Interferon Alpha 2B	134	Vinorelbine tartrate
66	Ipilimumab	135	Vorasidenib
67	Ivosidenib	136	Zanubrutinib
68	Lapatanib	137	Zolbetuximab
69	Lazertinib

The ministry said the measure for TMR on anti-cancer drugs aims to control excessive trade margins in the distribution and retail channel while safeguarding legitimate manufacturer revenues and preventing artificial market shortages.

Pharmaceutical companies will be required to maintain current production and supply levels for the notified formulations to ensure timely and uninterrupted access for patients.

Govt's directive for sellers and buyers: How to check revised prices

In a directive to sellers and buyers of these anti-cancer drugs, the ministry said:

1. All manufacturers will be required to inform NPPA of their revised prices within 7 days of publication of the Gazette notification.

2. Manufacturers will be required to display the price lists on their website and widely disseminate to all retailers and hospitals.

3. All the retailers and hospitals shall charge reduced prices effective 9th November, 2026 and display the revised prices in their pharmacies.

4. Hospitals shall also prominently display revised prices on their websites.

5. Consumers can use the Pharma Sahi Daam app and NPPA website to check revised prices of drugs.

About the Author

Akriti Anand is a Deputy Chief Content Producer at LiveMint. She is a digital journalist with more than six years in the news industry.<br><br> In her current role, she covers both national and international politics, and also keeps a close watch on the latest trends in science and space exploration. <br><br> Akriti joined the LiveMint team in October 2023. Before this, she built a strong career at other major media houses. She worked as a senior sub-editor at India Today. Later, she moved to CNBCTV-18. There, she covered high-pressure topics like breaking news and major elections. She spent much of her time analysing Parliament bills and complex political debates. She is also a skilled editor who knows how to polish a story for a digital audience. <br><br> One of her career highlights happened at CNBCTV-18. She made her first television debut during the Chandrayaan-3 mission. She also provided special on-air coverage for the Karnataka Elections. <br><br> When she is not busy with breaking news, Akriti loves to write explainers and interview experts on a wide range of issues. She also enjoys making complex space missions easy for everyone to understand. <br><br> Her education helps her tackle these diverse subjects. She holds a BA in English Literature, a Postgraduate Diploma in Mass Communication, and a Master’s degree in Development Studies. She is currently expanding her knowledge in climate journalism.<br><br> Connect with Akriti here<br> LinkedIn: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/akriti-anand-868285199">https://www.linkedin.com/in/akriti-anand-868285199</a><br> Twitter/X: <a href="https://x.com/AkritiAnand7">https://x.com/AkritiAnand7</a><br> Email: akriti.anand@htdigital.in