A parliamentary panel said the gap between landing cost and MRP needs to be reduced to make medicines and medical devices more affordable. (Representative Image) NEW DELHI: A parliamentary panel has recommended that the gap between the landing price, or the cost at which a medicine or medical device reaches the market, and its MRP should not exceed 20%, citing wide price disparities that can increase patients’ out-of-pocket expenditure.The Standing Committee on Health and Family Welfare cited Tenecteplase, a life-saving clot-busting drug used during the golden hour of a heart attack, as an example. According to the report, its landing cost is Rs 18,000, while the MRP is Rs 50,000, with patients being billed at the MRP.The panel said the gap between landing cost and MRP needs to be reduced to make medicines and medical devices more affordable. It also recommended rationalising the prices of peripheral stents and drug-eluting balloons.Pointing to the impact of price regulation, the committee noted that cardiac stents, which earlier cost around Rs 1.9 lakh, were capped at Rs 25,000-30,000 in 2017.The panel, however, stressed that lowering prices should not compromise the quality or availability of medical devices. It recommended strict quality-management systems for manufacturers and called for measures to prevent shortages and black marketing while rationalising prices of high-end medical consumables.Join conversationView All Comments →Share your thoughts in the commentsInsightfulAgreeDisagreeSkepticalConcerningPromisingWorth ReadingBig DevelopmentPost CommentBe respectful · TOI community guidelinesThe committee also flagged the cost of clear aligners, ranging from Rs 1.5 lakh to Rs 5 lakh, and recommended that regulators consider standardising the prices of clear aligners and dental materials.It further recommended promoting domestic production of costly devices such as implantable cardioverter defibrillators, heart valves, cardiac cath labs, pacemakers and PET scanners, noting that some are not covered under Ayushman Bharat and add to patients’ out-of-pocket burden. It also proposed a dedicated medical-devices subsidy fund for R&D and scaling, along with incentives and preferential government procurement for devices with at least 50% domestic content, and expansion of MedTech parks and testing facilitiesGet the latest India News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.About the AuthorAnuja JaiswalAnuja Jaiswal is a Senior Assistant Editor at The Times of India, with an impressive 18-year career in narrative journalism. She specializes in health and heritage reporting, expertly simplifying complex health information to make it engaging and understandable for readers. Her deep dives into heritage topics are well-researched, resulting in captivating narratives that resonate with her audience. Over the years, she has worked in Chandigarh, Chhattisgarh and West UP, gaining diverse on-ground experience that shapes her storytelling.Read MoreEnd of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideosManipur Shuts Down For 48 Hours As NRC Demand Intensifies Ahead Of 2027 Census DeadlineAAP Leader Satyendar Jain Arrested In Delhi Jal Board ‘Corruption’ Case; Kejriwal Hits Out At BJPTrump Praises India’s Voter ID System, Pushes Same In US, Puts CEC Gyanesh Kumar In SpotlightBihar Transfers 18 Top Cops, Including Siwan SP, Amid Row Over AK-47 Use During Student Protest‘Join Republican Party’: Union Minister’s Big NDA Offer To CJP Founder Abhijeet Dipke30,000 Protesters, 5,000 Cops: Delhi Police Defends Force Before Supreme Court In Protest CaseSIT Gives Clean Chit To Champat Rai & Anil Mishra In Ayodhya Probe, Submits Final Report | WatchVijay Apologises In Assembly After Karunanidhi Remark Sparks DMK Uproar Over Decorum BreachCriminal Cases Against Netas: 4,192 Trials Pending, 170 Lok Sabha MPs Face Serious ChargesJSSC-CGL CANCELLED: Jharkhand Students Celebrate After Government Accepts Key Demands123PhotostoriesHow to peel pineapple the right way: 5 waste-free tricks to use at homeThe Great ADHD Myth? 7 myths about ADHD debunked (and the facts you need to know)Meet VO2 maxxing: The fitness ‘trend’ that could help you live longerExclusive – Rubina Dilaik on Khatron Ke Khiladi 15, staying away from daughters and Abhinav Shukla’s support: ‘Cried over the phone, wondering if I made the wrong decision’Aishwarya Rai Bachchan just reopened the timeless beauty files with these unseen Cannes 2026 gown photosYour liver may be struggling without pain: 7 warning signs you can spot in your eyes, skin and urine10 baby girl names drawn from ancient texts and mythologies associated with wisdomOptical illusion personality test: Elephant or village? What you see first reveals a hidden side of your personalityTravel vlogger Shenaz Treasury gets a vampire facial: Know its benefits, risks, and cost in India?‘Kantara’ star Rishab Shetty wore a black kurta and silk dhoti with a Gandaberunda motif, for a look fullof regal drama at Melbourne123Hot PicksSugar importBank holidays this weekBihar STET 2026BJP new teamJharkhand ProtestJSSC-CGL exam cancelledSatyendar JainSupreme Court HolidayTwisha SharmaTop TrendingTwisha SharmaDelhi Draft PollMadhya Pradesh AccidentKolkata Airport Building FireAbhijeet DipkeKiren RijijuBengaluru Double MurderWeather TomorrowBengaluru RapidoBen Gvir

A parliamentary panel said the gap between landing cost and MRP needs to be reduced to make medicines and medical devices more affordable. (Representative Image) NEW DELHI: A parliamentary panel has recommended that the gap between the landing price, or the cost at which a medicine or medical device reaches the market, and its MRP should not exceed 20%, citing wide price disparities that can increase patients’ out-of-pocket expenditure.The Standing Committee on Health and Family Welfare cited Tenecteplase, a life-saving clot-busting drug used during the golden hour of a heart attack, as an example. According to the report, its landing cost is Rs 18,000, while the MRP is Rs 50,000, with patients being billed at the MRP.The panel said the gap between landing cost and MRP needs to be reduced to make medicines and medical devices more affordable. It also recommended rationalising the prices of peripheral stents and drug-eluting balloons.Pointing to the impact of price regulation, the committee noted that cardiac stents, which earlier cost around Rs 1.9 lakh, were capped at Rs 25,000-30,000 in 2017.The panel, however, stressed that lowering prices should not compromise the quality or availability of medical devices. It recommended strict quality-management systems for manufacturers and called for measures to prevent shortages and black marketing while rationalising prices of high-end medical consumables.Join conversationView All Comments →Share your thoughts in the commentsInsightfulAgreeDisagreeSkepticalConcerningPromisingWorth ReadingBig DevelopmentPost CommentBe respectful · TOI community guidelinesThe committee also flagged the cost of clear aligners, ranging from Rs 1.5 lakh to Rs 5 lakh, and recommended that regulators consider standardising the prices of clear aligners and dental materials.It further recommended promoting domestic production of costly devices such as implantable cardioverter defibrillators, heart valves, cardiac cath labs, pacemakers and PET scanners, noting that some are not covered under Ayushman Bharat and add to patients’ out-of-pocket burden. It also proposed a dedicated medical-devices subsidy fund for R&D and scaling, along with incentives and preferential government procurement for devices with at least 50% domestic content, and expansion of MedTech parks and testing facilitiesGet the latest India News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.About the AuthorAnuja JaiswalAnuja Jaiswal is a Senior Assistant Editor at The Times of India, with an impressive 18-year career in narrative journalism. She specializes in health and heritage reporting, expertly simplifying complex health information to make it engaging and understandable for readers. Her deep dives into heritage topics are well-researched, resulting in captivating narratives that resonate with her audience. Over the years, she has worked in Chandigarh, Chhattisgarh and West UP, gaining diverse on-ground experience that shapes her storytelling.Read MoreEnd of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideosManipur Shuts Down For 48 Hours As NRC Demand Intensifies Ahead Of 2027 Census DeadlineAAP Leader Satyendar Jain Arrested In Delhi Jal Board ‘Corruption’ Case; Kejriwal Hits Out At BJPTrump Praises India’s Voter ID System, Pushes Same In US, Puts CEC Gyanesh Kumar In SpotlightBihar Transfers 18 Top Cops, Including Siwan SP, Amid Row Over AK-47 Use During Student Protest‘Join Republican Party’: Union Minister’s Big NDA Offer To CJP Founder Abhijeet Dipke30,000 Protesters, 5,000 Cops: Delhi Police Defends Force Before Supreme Court In Protest CaseSIT Gives Clean Chit To Champat Rai & Anil Mishra In Ayodhya Probe, Submits Final Report | WatchVijay Apologises In Assembly After Karunanidhi Remark Sparks DMK Uproar Over Decorum BreachCriminal Cases Against Netas: 4,192 Trials Pending, 170 Lok Sabha MPs Face Serious ChargesJSSC-CGL CANCELLED: Jharkhand Students Celebrate After Government Accepts Key Demands123PhotostoriesHow to peel pineapple the right way: 5 waste-free tricks to use at homeThe Great ADHD Myth? 7 myths about ADHD debunked (and the facts you need to know)Meet VO2 maxxing: The fitness ‘trend’ that could help you live longerExclusive – Rubina Dilaik on Khatron Ke Khiladi 15, staying away from daughters and Abhinav Shukla’s support: ‘Cried over the phone, wondering if I made the wrong decision’Aishwarya Rai Bachchan just reopened the timeless beauty files with these unseen Cannes 2026 gown photosYour liver may be struggling without pain: 7 warning signs you can spot in your eyes, skin and urine10 baby girl names drawn from ancient texts and mythologies associated with wisdomOptical illusion personality test: Elephant or village? What you see first reveals a hidden side of your personalityTravel vlogger Shenaz Treasury gets a vampire facial: Know its benefits, risks, and cost in India?‘Kantara’ star Rishab Shetty wore a black kurta and silk dhoti with a Gandaberunda motif, for a look fullof regal drama at Melbourne123Hot PicksSugar importBank holidays this weekBihar STET 2026BJP new teamJharkhand ProtestJSSC-CGL exam cancelledSatyendar JainSupreme Court HolidayTwisha SharmaTop TrendingTwisha SharmaDelhi Draft PollMadhya Pradesh AccidentKolkata Airport Building FireAbhijeet DipkeKiren RijijuBengaluru Double MurderWeather TomorrowBengaluru RapidoBen Gvir


Panel seeks 20% cap on drug, medical device mark-ups
A parliamentary panel said the gap between landing cost and MRP needs to be reduced to make medicines and medical devices more affordable. (Representative Image)

NEW DELHI: A parliamentary panel has recommended that the gap between the landing price, or the cost at which a medicine or medical device reaches the market, and its MRP should not exceed 20%, citing wide price disparities that can increase patients’ out-of-pocket expenditure.The Standing Committee on Health and Family Welfare cited Tenecteplase, a life-saving clot-busting drug used during the golden hour of a heart attack, as an example. According to the report, its landing cost is Rs 18,000, while the MRP is Rs 50,000, with patients being billed at the MRP.The panel said the gap between landing cost and MRP needs to be reduced to make medicines and medical devices more affordable. It also recommended rationalising the prices of peripheral stents and drug-eluting balloons.Pointing to the impact of price regulation, the committee noted that cardiac stents, which earlier cost around Rs 1.9 lakh, were capped at Rs 25,000-30,000 in 2017.The panel, however, stressed that lowering prices should not compromise the quality or availability of medical devices. It recommended strict quality-management systems for manufacturers and called for measures to prevent shortages and black marketing while rationalising prices of high-end medical consumables.

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