India's NPPA says drugmakers cannot raise prices of imported products

At a meeting earlier this month, India’s drug price regulator the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) has denied a price rise for some imported products from French drug major Sanofi (Euronext: SAN), Lantus (insulin glargine), Switzerland’s Novartis (NOVN: VX), Vitalux Plus TR (a multivitamin and minerals supplement for vision & the eye care), and USA-based Allergan (NYSE: AGN), Pred Forte (prednisolone), according to a Business Standard report posted on the NPPA’s web site.

“We have retained the existing prices of these imported products because these companies could not justify a required price increase. We believe the landed cost remains the same. Even if it has increased, only the margins would shrink a little. So, there is no need for a price revision,” an official told Business Standard.

According to the order issued by NPPA, the price of a 3-ml cartridge of Lantus 100 IU/ML is fixed at 474.62 rupees ($8.81), whereas a bottle containing 30 tablets of Vitalux Plus will continue to cost 268.48 rupees and a 10 ml vial of eye-drop Pred Forte will be priced at 89.41 rupees.