Top cancer drugs may come under price control
NEW DELHI: Taking cue from the World Health Organisation’s revised list of essential medicines, top popular biosimilars for cancer cure like bevacizumab or trastuzumab and treatments like immunotherapy may get incorporated in India’s revised National List of Essential Medicines(NLEM).
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Thereby bringing a whole new set of oncology medicines and treatments under price control, said officials in the know.
An expert group on oncology, which is slated to meet on Tuesday, is contemplating adding these to the NLEM, one of the experts told.
The NLEM list is reviewed every 3 years to include or exclude drugs. “Experts on oncology from all over the country are gathering tomorrow to finalise the list on oncology drugs, therapies.
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There are new therapies on cancer with the potential to improve outcomes in those with advanced cancer and hence the updated essential medicines list may incorporate biosimilars, if there is a consensus,” said one of the officials, who is part of the expert committee.
“There will also be a separate session on whether there is a need to include immunotherapies on the NLEM.
The experts will actively discuss these new areas of treatment of cancer,” this official said, speaking on the condition of anonymity as the matter is still being finalised.
