NEW DELHI / AGARTALA, March 6 (TIWN): Medicines with “incremental innovations” will now be priced higher than the regular drugs, national report said. Tripura like states are highest sufferer due to this where Government in last one year has scrapped free medical services and unavailability of medicines in the Generic Medicine Centres a part of common business set by medicine sellers near the hospitals.

In a meeting on 9 December, the country’s drug price watchdog, the National Pharmaceuticals Pricing Authority (NPPA), has decided to allow pharmaceutical firms to increase the price of drugs that are re-launched with “innovations” such as reduced side effects, delayed suspension timings or user-friendly drug administration techniques like skin patches and digital drug release.    

“NPPA supports incremental innovations that could increase the therapeutic value and effectiveness of a drug,” read the minutes of the NPPA meeting, which was its 71st.  

Accepting the recommendations of a multi-disciplinary committee of experts, the NPPA said, “…in case the incremental innovation is not supported by a published journal, well-designed study, adequate trial, conclusive clinical data, then an incremental price increase upto 15 per cent be allowed…”

“…In case, the incremental innovation is supported by published journal, well designed study, adequate trial, conclusive clinical data, then an incremental price increase up to 20 per cent be allowed.”  

At present, the cost of drugs are determined by ceiling prices. 

The ceiling price is calculated by taking the average price of all drugs that have 1 or more than 1 per cent of the market share in the same category.