Govt caps prices of 52 more essential drugs; painkillers, antibiotics included

The government has capped the prices of 52 more essential drugs, including painkillers and antibiotics, the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) said in a notice.

The additional drugs join a list of nearly 400 essential medicines that have so far been placed under price control in the country, where majorities of the people live on under US $2 a day and health insurance is scarce.

Besides commonly-used antibiotics and painkillers, the new drugs to come under price control include medicines used for treating cancer and skin disorders, a notice by pricing authority NPPA said on its website.

Companies including Lupin, Cadila Healthcare and Merck Ltd - the domestic arm of United States-based drug maker Merck KGaA - are among those selling drugs mentioned in the latest notice, the authority said.

Cadila and Lupin were not immediately available for comment, while Merck's India unit was not immediately reachable.

(Reuters)

* An earlier version of the story gave the impression that Merck Ltd is the India arm of Merck & Co. The correction has been made.