National drug price regulator NPPA has fixed the ceiling price of 54 drug formulation packs including those used for treatment of bacterial infections, cancer, arthritis and asthma.
Besides, it has also fixed the retail price of two drugs.
"National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) has fixed/revised ceiling prices of 54 scheduled formulations of Schedule-I under Drugs (Price Control) Amendment Order, 2016 and retail price of two formulations under DPCO, 2013," the regulator said in a statement.
Earlier this month, NPPA had fixed prices of 70 drug formulation packs, including those used for treatment of bacterial infections, tuberculosis and cancer.
Last month, the drug price regulator had fixed the ceiling price of as many as 103 drug formulation packs including those used for treating HIV/AIDS, bacterial infections, tuberculosis, high blood pressure, epilepsy, Hepatitis C and diabetes.
The government fixes the prices of essential drugs based on the simple average of all medicines in a particular therapeutic segment, having sales of more than 1 per cent.
Besides, the government regulates the prices of all other medicines and companies are allowed to hike prices of such drugs by up to 10 per cent in a year.
The government had notified DPCO, 2013, which covers 680 formulations, with effect from May 15, 2014, replacing the 1995 order that regulated prices of only 74 bulk drugs.
Set up in 1997, NPPA has been entrusted with the task of fixation/revision of prices of pharma products, enforcement of provisions of the Drugs (Prices Control) Order and monitoring of prices of controlled and decontrolled drugs.
