India, Nov. 13 -- Cancer changes a family's life in an instant. Patients and their loved ones must confront difficult decisions about treatment, finances and the future. For many households, medicine costs become an added burden at a time when every resource should be devoted to recovery. A compassionate health system must respond to the financial distress the disease causes.

Keeping this in mind, the Union government has rationalised trade margins for 137 identified non-scheduled anti-cancer drugs: The National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) capped the margins at 30% of the maximum retail price (MRP). The revised prices came into effect on November 9, 2026. The price a patient pays must reflect fair and reasonable distribution ...