NPPA cuts stent price again; MNC demand for sub-categories rejected

The authority has not broadened the categories of coronary stents, though there was industry demand for that

Last year, on February 14, the pharma watchdog cut the price of coronary stents to Rs 29.600 from as high as Rs 200,000, a reduction of around 85 per cent.  However, the price of another category of stent - bare metal stent - was capped at Rs 7,260. 

Trade margins were capped at 8 per cent along the complete supply chain as the NPPA observed unethical mark-up in fixing the maximum retail price by manufacturers.

The NPPA used its extraordinary power of Para 19 of the Drug Price Control Order (DPCO) 2013 to cap the price of coronary stents. The NPPA had invoked the Section 3 (i) of the DPCO, restricting companies from bringing down manufacturing and import of stents to ensure there is no shortage of the device.

Rajiv Nath, forum coordinator, Association of Indian Medical Device Industry, said,  “We are happy with the NPPA’s new decision to continue with its directive on price cap by not falling to the lobby of multinational manufacturers. Single category on drug-eluting stents is scientific and the continuation of the above stand gives confidence to the manufacturers. The manufacturers could have welcomed a higher pricing to accommodate inflation. But the government can be assured of support from manufacturers.”