Expect Stent Prices between Rs 21,881 to Rs 67,272 after price ceiling

NEW DELHI: Continuing its price ceiling policy, National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA), may cut the prices of life-saving drug eluting cardiac stents. It is reported that new prices will come up in the next month in February, 2017.

The NPPA is reported to have proposed that the new prices of drug eluting stents be fixed between Rs 21,881 to Rs 67,272 rates. The new price will be 50 percent less than current price rate.

The maximum retail prices (MRPs) of drug eluting stents currently range from Rs. 22,500 the Central Government Health Services (CGHS) reimbursement rate to as much as Rs. 1.95 lakh for the latest launches.

Most of the proposed drug eluting stents ceiling prices fall within a range of Rs20,000-Rs40,000 while the highest Rs.67,272 has been calculated using the average price of the stent to the hospital topped with a 16% margin, reports ET

Both Indian and global stent makers have urged NPPA to fix the ceiling prices of stents using a formula of price to hospitals.

As per the indian stent manufactures suggestions, National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) may only differentiate stents into two broad categories instead of providing different ceiling prices for Bare Metal Stents (BMS), DES and bioresorbable vascular stents (BVS).Earlier, National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) only proposed to separate the ceiling prices for bare metal stents (BMS) and DES, where DES would also include BVS.

NPPA director AK Khurana said, "All options as given…are indicative, not exhaustive." "NPPA is open to consider additional options, if any, which may be suggested by any of the stakeholders," he added.

The stakeholders are in planing to present representations on the proposed prices by January 26, 2017.