Lok Sabha Question No. 3459 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-03-21
Subject: Cancer Patients
Ministry: HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
Asked by: Shri Arvind Ganpat Sawant, Shri Sanjay Uttamrao Deshmukh, Shri Sanjay Haribhau Jadhav

## GOVERNMENT OFINDIA MINISTRY OFHEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE DEPARTMENT OFHEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3459 TO BE ANSWERED ON 21 ST MARCH, 2025

## CANCER PATIENTS

## 3459. SHRI SANJAY HARIBHAU JADHAV: SHRI ARVIND GANPAT SAWANT: SHRI SANJAY UTTAMRAO DESHMUKH:

## Will the MINISTER OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the number of cancer patients are increasing every year in the country and if so, the details thereof along with the number of cancer patients at present in the country, State-wise;
- (b) whether cancer medicines are available at affordable rates and if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor;
- (c) the appropriate steps taken/proposed to be taken by the Government to ensure availability of medicines to Cancer patients at affordable rates;
- (d) whether the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority has notified certain cancer drugs in the schedule and fixed the maximum price cap of the said drugs and if so, the details thereof; and
- (e) the steps taken/proposed to be taken by the Government to ensure large scale production of cancer drugs by pharmaceutical companies ensuring the availability and distribution thereof at affordable rates?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE (SHRI PRATAPRAO JADHAV)

(a) : As per the ICMR - National Cancer Registry Programme, the estimated number of incidence of cancer cases in the countryduring last five years from 2019 to 2023 by State/Union Territories-wise list is at Annexure .

(b) to (e): Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana (PMBJP) Scheme was launched to set up dedicated outlets known as Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Kendras (PMBJKs) to provide quality generic medicines at affordable prices. Under PMBJP, 2047 types of medicines and 300 surgical devices have been brought under the basket of the scheme, of which 87 products are for cancer treatment.

Affordable Medicines and Reliable Implants for Treatment (AMRIT), initiative launched by the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare provides affordable medicines for treatment of various diseases including cancer.As on 28.02.2025, there are 222 AMRIT Pharmacies spread across 29 States/Union Territories, selling more than 6500 drugs including Cancer at significant discounts.

Under National Health Mission (NHM),National Free Drugs Initiative and Free Diagnostic Services ensure essential medicines and diagnostics at public health facilities, reducing out-of-pocket expenses. Anti-cancer drugs are included in the Essential Drugs List at District and Sub-Divisional Hospitals under National Programme for Prevention and Control of Non Communicable Diseases (NP-NCD).

The National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) fixes ceiling prices under the provisions of Drugs (Prices Control) Order, 2013 (DPCO, 2013) in respect of the drugs specified in Schedule-I to DPCO, 2013. Manufacturers of scheduled medicines (both branded and generic) are required to sell their products within the ceiling price (plus applicable Goods and Service Tax) fixed by NPPA. In addition, NPPA fixes the retail price of new drugs as defined in DPCO, 2013. The retail price of a new drug is applicable to the applicant manufacturer and marketer, who are required to sell the new drug within the price notified by NPPA. In case of non-scheduled formulations, a manufacturer is at liberty to fix the maximum retail price (MRP) of drugs launched by it. However, as per DPCO, 2013, a manufacturer is required to not increase MRP of a nonscheduled drug by more than 10% of MRP during the preceding 12 months. In addition to the above, the ceiling price of a drug may also be fixed under certain circumstances, in public interest.

The aforesaid Schedule to DPCO, 2013 consists of the National List of Essential Medicines (NLEM), 2022 notified by the Department of Health and Family Welfare which includes 63 anti-cancer drugs, including immunosuppressives and medicines used in palliative care.

Various measures have been taken to make cancer drugs affordable and accessible to the masses, including, among others, the following:

1. NPPA has fixed ceiling prices of 131 scheduled anti-cancer formulations under NLEM. These include 111 formulations whose prices were fixed under the NLEM, 2015. Refixation of the same under NLEM, 2022 has resulted in reduction of around 21% from the ceiling prices fixed under NLEM, 2015, leading to annual savings of around ₹294.34 crore to patients.
2. NPPA has fixed retail prices of 28 anti-cancer formulations of applicant manufacturing and marketing companies, under the DPCO, 2013 provisions relating to fixing of retail prices of new drugs.
3. In addition, NPPA has put a cap of 30% trade margin on 42 non-scheduled anticancer medicines, in public interest, which has resulted in reduction of MRP of 526 brands of these medicines by an average of around 50% and annual savings of around ₹984 crore to patients.
4. Government reduced customs duty to nil and GST rates from 12% to 5% for three anti-cancer drugs in the financial year (FY) 2024-25 and NPPA has issued directions to companies to reduce MRPto pass on the tax benefit to consumers.
5. Exemption/concessions in customs duty on identified anti-cancer medicines has also been announced in the budget for FY 2025-26.

With the objective of promoting domestic manufacturing of drugs, the Department of Pharmaceuticals is implementing the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme for Pharmaceuticals with total financial outlay of ₹15,000 crore with scheme tenure till the financial year 2027-28. 54 anti-cancer drugs are manufactured under this scheme.

| Estimated Incidence of cancer cases in India by different State/UT - All sites - Both Sexes   |   Estimated Incidence of cancer cases in India by different State/UT - All sites - Both Sexes |   Estimated Incidence of cancer cases in India by different State/UT - All sites - Both Sexes |   Estimated Incidence of cancer cases in India by different State/UT - All sites - Both Sexes |   Estimated Incidence of cancer cases in India by different State/UT - All sites - Both Sexes |   Estimated Incidence of cancer cases in India by different State/UT - All sites - Both Sexes |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| State                                                                                         |                                                                                          2019 |                                                                                          2020 |                                                                                          2021 |                                                                                          2022 |                                                                                          2023 |
| Jammu &Kashmir UT                                                                             |                                                                                         12396 |                                                                                         12726 |                                                                                         13060 |                                                                                         13395 |                                                                                         13744 |
| Ladakh UT                                                                                     |                                                                                           279 |                                                                                           286 |                                                                                           294 |                                                                                           302 |                                                                                           309 |
| Himachal pradesh                                                                              |                                                                                          8589 |                                                                                          8799 |                                                                                          8978 |                                                                                          9164 |                                                                                          9373 |
| Punjab                                                                                        |                                                                                         37744 |                                                                                         38636 |                                                                                         39521 |                                                                                         40435 |                                                                                         41337 |
| Chandigarh                                                                                    |                                                                                           994 |                                                                                          1024 |                                                                                          1053 |                                                                                          1088 |                                                                                          1120 |
| Uttaranchal                                                                                   |                                                                                         11216 |                                                                                         11482 |                                                                                         11779 |                                                                                         12065 |                                                                                         12348 |
| Haryana                                                                                       |                                                                                         28453 |                                                                                         29219 |                                                                                         30015 |                                                                                         30851 |                                                                                         31679 |
| Delhi                                                                                         |                                                                                         24436 |                                                                                         25178 |                                                                                         25969 |                                                                                         26735 |                                                                                         27561 |
| Rajasthan                                                                                     |                                                                                         69156 |                                                                                         70987 |                                                                                         72825 |                                                                                         74725 |                                                                                         76655 |
| Uttar pradesh                                                                                 |                                                                                        196652 |                                                                                        201319 |                                                                                        206088 |                                                                                        210958 |                                                                                        215931 |
| Bihar                                                                                         |                                                                                        101014 |                                                                                        103711 |                                                                                        106435 |                                                                                        109274 |                                                                                        112180 |
| Sikkim                                                                                        |                                                                                           443 |                                                                                           445 |                                                                                           465 |                                                                                           496 |                                                                                           525 |
| Arunachal pradesh                                                                             |                                                                                          1015 |                                                                                          1035 |                                                                                          1064 |                                                                                          1087 |                                                                                          1125 |
| Nagaland                                                                                      |                                                                                          1719 |                                                                                          1768 |                                                                                          1805 |                                                                                          1854 |                                                                                          1890 |
| Manipur                                                                                       |                                                                                          1844 |                                                                                          1899 |                                                                                          2022 |                                                                                          2097 |                                                                                          2169 |
| Mizoram                                                                                       |                                                                                          1783 |                                                                                          1837 |                                                                                          1919 |                                                                                          1985 |                                                                                          2063 |
| Tripura                                                                                       |                                                                                          2507 |                                                                                          2574 |                                                                                          2623 |                                                                                          2715 |                                                                                          2790 |
| Meghalaya                                                                                     |                                                                                          2808 |                                                                                          2879 |                                                                                          2943 |                                                                                          3025 |                                                                                          3099 |
| Assam                                                                                         |                                                                                         36948 |                                                                                         37880 |                                                                                         38834 |                                                                                         39787 |                                                                                         40721 |
| West bengal                                                                                   |                                                                                        105814 |                                                                                        108394 |                                                                                        110972 |                                                                                        113581 |                                                                                        116230 |
| Jharkhand                                                                                     |                                                                                         33045 |                                                                                         33961 |                                                                                         34910 |                                                                                         35860 |                                                                                         36840 |
| Orissa                                                                                        |                                                                                         49604 |                                                                                         50692 |                                                                                         51829 |                                                                                         52960 |                                                                                         54136 |
| Chattisgarh                                                                                   |                                                                                         27113 |                                                                                         27828 |                                                                                         28529 |                                                                                         29253 |                                                                                         30014 |
| Madhya pradesh                                                                                |                                                                                         75911 |                                                                                         77888 |                                                                                         79871 |                                                                                         81901 |                                                                                         84029 |
| Gujarat                                                                                       |                                                                                         67841 |                                                                                         69660 |                                                                                         71507 |                                                                                         73382 |                                                                                         75290 |
| Daman                                                                                         |                                                                                           118 |                                                                                           124 |                                                                                           135 |                                                                                           150 |                                                                                           161 |
| Dadra &Nagar Haveli                                                                           |                                                                                           186 |                                                                                           206 |                                                                                           219 |                                                                                           238 |                                                                                           252 |
| Maharashtra                                                                                   |                                                                                        113374 |                                                                                        116121 |                                                                                        118906 |                                                                                        121717 |                                                                                        124584 |
| Telangana                                                                                     |                                                                                         46464 |                                                                                         47620 |                                                                                         48775 |                                                                                         49983 |                                                                                         51145 |
| Andhra pradesh                                                                                |                                                                                         68883 |                                                                                         70424 |                                                                                         71970 |                                                                                         73536 |                                                                                         75086 |
| Karnataka                                                                                     |                                                                                         83824 |                                                                                         85968 |                                                                                         88126 |                                                                                         90349 |                                                                                         92560 |
| Goa                                                                                           |                                                                                          1591 |                                                                                          1618 |                                                                                          1652 |                                                                                          1700 |                                                                                          1735 |
| Lakshadweep                                                                                   |                                                                                            27 |                                                                                            27 |                                                                                            28 |                                                                                            28 |                                                                                            31 |
| Kerala                                                                                        |                                                                                         56148 |                                                                                         57155 |                                                                                         58139 |                                                                                         59143 |                                                                                         60162 |
| Tamil nadu                                                                                    |                                                                                         86596 |                                                                                         88866 |                                                                                         91184 |                                                                                         93536 |                                                                                         95944 |
| Pondicherry                                                                                   |                                                                                          1523 |                                                                                          1577 |                                                                                          1623 |                                                                                          1679 |                                                                                          1753 |
| Andaman &Nicobar Islands                                                                      |                                                                                           357 |                                                                                           366 |                                                                                           380 |                                                                                           393 |                                                                                           401 |
| Total                                                                                         |                                                                                       1358415 |                                                                                       1392179 |                                                                                       1426447 |                                                                                       1461427 |                                                                                       1496972 |