Lok Sabha Question No. 148 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-02-02
Subject: Anti-Cancer Drugs
Ministry: CHEMICALS AND FERTILIZERS
Asked by: Sumalatha Ambareesh, D.K. Suresh

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF CHEMICALS & FERTILIZERS DEPARTMENT OF PHARMACEUTICALS

LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 148 TO BE ANSWERED ON 2 nd  February, 2021

## Anti-Cancer Drugs

## 148. SHRIMATI SUMALATHA AMBAREESH SHRI D.K. SURESH

Will the Minister of CHEMICALS AND FERTILIZERS be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government has taken note that the number of cancer patients have increased during the last ten years and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) whether the Government has any plan to develop anti-cancer drugs to mitigate the problem of patients;
- (c) if so, the details thereof;
- (d) whether the Government is taking measures to put cap on cancer drugs to make it affordable to cancer patients; and
- (e) if so, the details and the response of the Government in this regard?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER IN THE MINISTRY OF CHEMICALS & FERTILIZERS (SHRI D. V. SADANANDA GOWDA)

(a) to (c): As per the latest National Cancer Registry Programme Report (NCRP) of Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) under Ministry of Health & Family Welfare for the year 2020, the annual figures of estimated incidence and mortality of cancer cases are as under:

| Year                                | 2017      | 2018      | 2019      |
|-------------------------------------|-----------|-----------|-----------|
| Estimated incidence of cancer cases | 12,92,534 | 13,25,232 | 13,58,415 |
| Estimated Mortality of cancer cases | 7,15,010  | 7,33,139  | 7,51,517  |

Further, the projected number of incidences of cancer cases in the country is 15.7 lakhs for the year 2025.

Cancer is a multi-factorial disease, the risk factors of which include aging population, sedentary lifestyles, use of tobacco products, unhealthy diet and air pollution. In Government hospitals, treatment is either free or highly subsidized. Treatment of cancers is also available under  Ayushman  Bharat  -  Pradhan  Mantri  Jan  Arogya  Yojana  (PMJAY).  ICMR-National Institute of Cancer Prevention and Research (NICPR), Noida. In order to enhance the facilities for tertiary care of cancer, the Central Government is implementing Strengthening of Tertiary Care for Cancer Scheme, under which setting up of 19 State Cancer Institutes and 20 Tertiary Care Cancer Centres have been approved. Further, Oncology is also one of the focus areas in case of new AIIMS and many upgraded institutions under Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY). The Government has launched www.cancerindia.org with the theme 'India Against Cancer', a portal that provides information on the leading cancers in India with a major focus on awareness, prevention and treatment of these cancers.

(d) & (e): The National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) has fixed the ceiling prices of 86 anti-cancer scheduled formulations under the National List of Essential Medicines, 2015 (NLEM, 2015).

Further, the NPPA, vide order S.O. 1041(E) dated 27th February, 2019, put a cap on Trade  Margin  of  42  select  non-scheduled  anti-cancer  medicines  under  'Trade  Margin Rationalisation' Approach. By this approach, the Maximum Retail Price (MRP) of 526 brands of these medicines have been reduced by upto 90%. This move resulted in annual savings of around Rs. 984 crore to the patients. The details of revised prices are available on the website of the NPPA i.e. nppaindia.nic.in.

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