Anti-cancer drug pricing: Newspaper advertisements must disclose pre-revised and revised prices

The National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA), the government body responsible for regulating medicine prices in India, has clarified that pharmaceutical companies must publish newspaper advertisements for all products whose prices are reduced under its trade margin rationalisation (TMR) exercise. The advertisements must state both the pre-revised and revised Maximum Retail Prices (MRPs). Companies may choose whether to include products whose prices remain unchanged.

The clarification forms part of the FAQs issued on October 23, 2026, following NPPA’s October 17 order rationalising trade margins for 137 identified non-scheduled anti-cancer medicines under the Drugs (Prices Control) Order, 2013. The revised prices take effect on November 9, 2026. By requiring both prices to be disclosed, NPPA seeks to make price reductions transparent and help consumers identify the change. Pharmaceutical companies should ensure that their newspaper advertisements accurately reflect the revised MRPs.