 "Govt caps prices of 52 more 'essential' drugs")
The government has capped the prices of 52 more drugs, including painkillers and antibiotics, the pricing authority said in a notice.
The additional drugs join a list of nearly 400 essential medicines that have so far been placed under price control in India, where a majority of the people live on under $2 a day and health insurance is scarce.
The new drugs to come under price control include commonly-used antibiotics and painkillers as well as medicines used for treating cancer and skin disorders, a notice on the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) website said.
Companies including Lupin Ltd, Cadila Healthcare Ltd and Merck Ltd - the Indian arm of the US firm Merck & Co Inc - are among those selling drugs mentioned in the latest notice, the authority said.
Cadila and Lupin did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Merck's India unit was not immediately reachable.