Launch of generic oncology drugs underway in India

The government has approved generic versions of a kidney cancer drug.

The approval of generic brands of expensive oncology drugs in India will not only help in reducing the cost of such drugs, but will also improve access and adherence to treatment in the future, according to a report from GlobalData.

Recently, India’s Central Drugs Standard Control Organization has approved several generic versions of Sunitinib to treat kidney cancer.

Expensive cancer diagnostics and treatment add to the economic burden in India, as a huge part of out-of-pocket healthcare expenditure is borne by patients, said GlobalData’s pharma analyst Krishna Srinivasaraghavan.

“As a result, non-affordability and limited access to basic treatment account for higher cancer mortality rate in the country,” Srinivasaraghavan said.

As per India’s National Cancer Registry Programme, the estimated number of people living with cancer in 2020 was around 2.25 million. Meanwhile, 1,351 generic drugs are available in India for the treatment of different cancers as of 26 February.