Govt brings drugs to treat cancer, diabetes, HIV, TB in essential list

New Delhi: Taking forward the commitment of Prime Minister Narendra Modi of providing affordable medicine to all, the Union Health ministry has added four major anti-cancer drugs to the National List of Essential Medicines (NLEM). The drugs included in the essential drug list are Bendamustine Hydrochloride, HCI Trihydrate, Lenalidomide and Leuprolide Acetate.

Besides these, 30 drugs, including some anti-infectives such as Ivermectin, Mupirocin and Nicotine Replacement Therapy, have also been added to NLEM taking the total drugs under it to 384. Notably, the revised list of essential drugs has come after a gap of seven years.

However, 26 drugs such as Ranitidine, Sucralfate, white petrolatum, Atenolol and Methyldopa have been deleted from the revised list. The deletion has been done based on the parameters of cost effectiveness and availability of better drugs.

The popular antacid salt Ranitidine has been removed from the essential list over cancer-causing concerns. Ranitidine is popularly sold under the brand names Aciloc, Zinetac, and Rantac, among others, and is commonly prescribed for acidity and stomach ache-related issues.

Union Health minister Mansukh Mandaviya, who released the list on Tuesday, said: "The national list of essential medicines comprises 384 drugs across 27 categories. Several antibiotics, vaccines, anti-cancer drugs and many other important drugs will become more affordable and reduce patients' out-of-pocket expenditure."

Endocrine medicines and contraceptives Fludrocortisone, Ormeloxifene, Insulin Glargine and Teneliglitin have also been added to the list. Montelukast, which acts on the respiratory tract, ophthalmological drug Latanoprost and Cardiovascular medicines Dabigatran and Tenecteplase are also added in the list besides medicines used in palliative care.

The drugs listed under NLEM, which is also known as scheduled drugs, are available at relatively cheaper rates due to price capping being done by National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA). The change in rates of drugs under the NLEM is based on wholesale price index-based inflation.

"Antinfectives such as Ivermectin, Meropenem, Cefuroxime, Amikacin, Bedaquiline, Delamanid, Itraconazole ABC Dolutegravir have also been added to the NLM," said YK Gupta, vice-chairman of the Standing National Committee on Medicines.

"A revised list of 399 formulations was submitted by an expert committee under the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) last year. After detailed analysis of Indian requirements, major changes were sought by the minister," he added.