Cipla, on Thursday, slashed the prices of its three generic cancer drugs — Erlocip, Docetax and Capegard — by up to 64 per cent.
The drugs are used for treating lung and pancreatic cancer, breast cancer, head and neck cancer, gastric cancer, bladder and colorectal and colon cancers, it added.
The lung cancer drug Erlocip will now cost Rs.9,900 for 30 tablets against its earlier price of Rs.27,000, while Docetax, used for treating breast cancer, head and neck cancer, and bladder cancer, will now cost Rs.1,650 from its earlier price of Rs.3,300, Cipla said in a statement.
Capegard, another cancer drug that treats breast, colon and colorectal cancer, will now be available at Rs.600 for 10 tablets from its earlier price of Rs.1,200, it added.
Affordable treatment
“Continuing its contribution towards affordable and accessible treatment for patients, Cipla extends the work done in HIV/AIDS and malaria to include cancer, not only in India but globally,” Cipla Chairman and Managing Director Y. K. Hamied said.
Earlier in May, Cipla had slashed the prices by up to 76 per cent of its generic drugs used in treating cancers of brain, lung and kidney.
The move came on the back of the government permitting domestic firm Natco Pharma to manufacture and sell cancer treatment drug Nexavar at a price over 30 times lower than charged by its patent-holder Bayer Corporation.
In an order by the Controller of Patents in March, Natco was allowed to sell the drug at a price not exceeding Rs.8,880 for a pack of 120 tablets required for a month’s treatment as compared to a whopping Rs.2.80 lakh a month charged by Bayer.
