ISLAMABAD: The health ministry on Monday reduced the prices of 20 medicines, including those to treat cancer.

The revision in the maximum retail price by the Ministry of National Health Services (NHS) is expected to provide a relief of up to Rs75,000 per month to the patients.

The medicines include those used to treat lung cancer, breast cancer, HIV, blood clotting, blood pressure, eye infections, bone diseases, infertility in women and fungal infections.

According to a document available with Dawn, the price of 30 tablets of 150mg Tarceva has been reduced by 30 per cent. Now, it can not be sold at over Rs214,710.

The price of the 100mg variant of the medicine, used to treat non-small cell lung cancer and pancreatic cancer, has been capped at Rs172,320.

The price of 450mg Herceptin injection, administered to treat types of breast, oesophagal and stomach cancers, has been reduced by 30pc and set at Rs199,741.

Revision will provide up to Rs75,000 monthly relief to each patient

The maximum price of 60 tablets of Valcyte, to treat cytomegalovirus retinitis in people who have Acquired Immuno­defi­cie­ncy Syndrome (AIDS), has been set at Rs116,165.

According to the document, the maximum price of 28 tablets of Xarelto, an anticoagulant medication used to treat and prevent blood clots, will be Rs4,810.

Similarly, 20 tablets of Co-Renitec cannot be sold at over Rs258. The medicine helps to lower blood pressure by removing extra water and certain electrolytes from the body.

The price of Timoptol eye drops will be Rs184 and that of Clomid, used to treat infertility in women, will be Rs 440.

Similarly, a 3mg injection of Aclasta, used to treat several bone diseases, cannot be sold at over Rs27,514, while the price of five injections of Zofran has been capped at Rs4,659. It is used to prevent nausea and vomiting caused by cancer drug treatment (chemotherapy) and radiation therapy.

The price per injection of 20mg/1ml Taxotere, a chemotherapy medication used to treat several cancer types, has been set at Rs11,429.

The maximum price of Lamisil Cream, used to treat fungal infections, will be Rs262.

Talking to Dawn, the ministry’s Spokesperson Sajid Shah said that the health minister has been asking the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan to cut the prices of medicines.

Published in Dawn, January 17th, 2023