NPPA to meet stent makers to discuss price, availability

Drug price regulator NPPA has called for a meeting on Wednesday with top management of firms such as Abbott and Johnson & Johnson to discuss pricing and availability cardiac stents in India.
"It has been decided to convene a meeting with all the concerned manufacturers/importers of cardiac stents and drug eluting stents on February 25 in the NPPA to discuss the matter related to pricing and availability of cardiac stents drug eluting stents in the country," National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority said in a letter to the companies.
The letter was addressed to Manging Directors and CEOs of Abbott, Johnson & Johnson, Boston Scientific, Edward Lifesciences, Medtronic and other concerned companies.

NPPA said it has not received information from the manufactures and importers regarding price movement of notified medical devices under the DPCO 2103 despite sending letters on February 9 and February 17.
Cardiac stents are small expandable tubes used to treat narrowed or weakened arteries in the body.
Last week, NPPA had asked various pharmaceutical majors including Cipla and Ranbaxy to keep adequate stocks of the swine flu drugs in the country.