A cabinet committee chaired by Finance Minister Senator Muhammad Aurangzeb has approved the prices of 52 newly registered life-saving medicines, including cancer drugs, insulin, vaccines, and other essential treatments.
The recommendations will now go to the federal cabinet for final approval. After approval, the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) will notify the maximum retail prices, allowing the medicines to be sold legally across the country.
The Ministry of National Health Services urged the committee to approve the prices without delay, warning that patients had struggled to access newly registered medicines because companies could not market them until the government fixed their prices. The ministry said the delays forced many patients to rely on smuggled, unregistered, or expensive imported medicines.
The approved medicines include Pembrolizumab, an immunotherapy drug used to treat more than 20 types of cancer, including lung, breast, cervical, kidney, bladder, stomach, and skin cancers.
The committee also approved prices for Nivolumab, Irinotecan, Dasatinib, and Leucovorin for cancer treatment; Humador insulin for diabetes; Adalimumab for autoimmune diseases; Recombinant Factor VIII for haemophilia A; Carbidopa-Levodopa for Parkinson’s disease; Dabigatran and Heparin for preventing blood clots; Methyldopa for hypertension during pregnancy; Meropenem and Fosfomycin antibiotics; Ketamine for anesthesia; as well as vaccines, radiology contrast agents, and several medicines used in intensive care units and emergency departments.
During the meeting, Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb emphasized that the government should keep drug pricing transparent, evidence-based, and focused on protecting the public interest while ensuring access to essential medicines and maintaining affordability.
Get the latest business news, market insights, and economic updates wherever you prefer.
Add ProPakistani to Preferred Sources and see more of our stories in Google Search and Top Stories.
Shares
