India is cutting cancer drug prices by up to 70% after adding 137 non-scheduled anti-cancer medicines to its price control list. The move aims to make treatment more affordable in the country’s $2.6 billion oncology market, according to a statement from the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilisers. Margins capped across all formulations The medicines include immunotherapy drugs used for 20…
Tag: Medicine Pricing
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Pharmaceutical Policy Must Balance Price With Supply
South Africa’s pharmaceutical policy must protect patients through affordable medicines. Still, it cannot pursue the lowest possible price at the cost of the local industry that keeps those medicines flowing, an industry expert argues. Writing from years in the sector and doctoral research on generic pricing, the author poses a harder question. What happens when the drive for cheap medicines…
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Pharmaceutical Localisation Talks Target Investment And Supply
Senior government officials and top leaders of the pharmaceutical industry have agreed to pursue closer cooperation. South Africa seeks to boost local medicine production and enhance supply security. On 18 August, the two parties met in Pretoria to talk about the immediate pressures facing the sector. They discussed the longer-term measures needed to support pharmaceutical manufacturing. Professor Nicholas Crisp, who…
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Local Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Needs Urgent Support
An industry group has warned that South Africa’s emphasis on securing the lowest possible prices for medicine is excluding local pharmaceutical companies from important state contracts. This issue highlights the challenges faced by local pharmaceutical manufacturing. In particular, they struggle to remain competitive in the market. Pharmaceuticals Made in South Africa (Pharmisa) told Parliament that the Health Department’s procurement policies…
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Extensior Launch Cuts Ozempic Cost By 15%
Novo Nordisk will launch Extensior in South Africa on 31 July. The medicine contains the same active ingredient as Ozempic but will cost about 15% less. The lower price could reduce monthly expenses for patients who pay for semaglutide themselves. However, the discount is unlikely to persuade medical schemes to expand funding for the costly diabetes treatment. Extensior will be…
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Medicine Price Increase: Industry Demands Transparency
South Africa’s pharmaceutical sector is reaching a boiling point. The country’s umbrella body for manufacturers is now pressuring the National Department of Health for answers. At the heart of the dispute is the recent 1.47% hike in medicine prices for the private sector. Industry leaders warn that without full disclosure on how this figure was reached, legal action is inevitable.…