50% Hike in Asthma, TB Drug Prices by NPPA

Aakhir Tak – In Shorts

1. Prices of asthma, tuberculosis, and mental health drugs in India have been hiked by 50%.
2. The price increase was driven by rising costs of ingredients, production, and currency fluctuations.
3. The National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) approved the price hike in the public interest to ensure availability of essential drugs.

Aakhir Tak – In Depth

India’s National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) has increased the prices of essential drugs used to treat asthma, tuberculosis, and mental health disorders by 50%. This hike comes in response to requests from pharmaceutical companies facing rising costs of ingredients, manufacturing, and currency exchange fluctuations. Some companies had even considered halting production due to economic challenges under current pricing.

The affected drugs include those vital for treating conditions like asthma, glaucoma, thalassemia, tuberculosis, and various mental health disorders. These medications are widely used as first-line treatments and play a critical role in managing these conditions. The price hike was approved in the broader public interest, ensuring that these essential drugs remain available to patients who rely on them.

NPPA invoked Paragraph 19 of the Drugs (Prices Control) Order, 2013, to revise the ceiling prices of 11 formulations across eight essential drugs. This marks the third time NPPA has invoked its extraordinary powers, having previously done so in 2019 and 2021 to raise prices for other essential drugs.

Affected Drugs List:

• Benzyl Penicillin (used to treat bacterial infections)
• Atropine Injection (to manage slow heart rate)
• Streptomycin Powder (for tuberculosis treatment)
• Salbutamol Tablets and Solution (for asthma and respiratory diseases)
• Pilocarpine Drops (used for glaucoma)
• Cefadroxil Tablets (for bacterial infections)
• Desferrioxamine Injection (for anemia and thalassemia treatment)
• Lithium Tablets (used for mental health treatment)

The NPPA has stressed that the price revision was necessary to avoid a potential shortage of these life-saving drugs.

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