The National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) has fixed the retail prices of 23 new drug formulations, including treatments for diabetes, cardiovascular conditions, mental health disorders, infections, and pain relief, under the Drugs (Prices Control) Order (DPCO), 2013. In a notification, NPPA said that in exercise of the powers conferred by paragraphs 5, 11 and 15 of the DPCO, 2013, it has fixed the maximum retail prices (excluding GST) for a range of drug combinations.
Among the most significant inclusions are fixed dose combination (FDC) for type-2 diabetes, including triple-drug formulations containing Sitagliptin, Glimepiride and Metformin (extended release) as well as Dapagliflozin, Pioglitazone and Metformin (sustained release).
These medicines are increasingly being used by patients whose blood sugar levels remain unmanageable despite dual-drug therapy, and the single-pill combinations help in improving treatment adherence and reduce the number of tablets intake daily.
The recent notification target formulations from drugmakers like Sun Pharma, Mankind Pharma, Torrent Pharmaceuticals, Alkem, Ipca, FDC, Aristo Pharmaceuticals, Eris Lifesciences and GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceuticals, among others. Contract manufacturers like Akums, Windlas, and Exemed who produce these medicines for larger pharma companies are also named in the list.
Unlike ceiling prices notified for scheduled medicines under the National List of Essential Medicines (NLEM), the latest order relates to retail price fixation for “new drugs”. Under the DPCO, new formulations, strengths or FDCs that qualify as “new drugs” require NPPA approval for their launch price.
The notification specifies that manufacturers “shall fix the retail price not exceeding the price as specified” in the order. It also provides that any other manufacturer launching the same new drug within 12 months have to market it only at or below the notified retail price.
NPPA currently operates through multiple mechanisms, including fixing the ceiling prices for scheduled formulations included in the NLEM, monitoring the annual price increases for non-scheduled medicines, and separately fixing the retail prices for new drugs before they enter the market.
The latest notification is part of a series of circulars issued by the authority this year. In 2026, the NPPA has already notified retail prices for 42 new formulations in May and 30 formulations in June, before fixing prices for another 23 formulations in the latest order.