India May Relax Import Duty On 200 Drugs; Blockbuster Cancer Meds Keytruda, Enhertu On List
India may soon see a drop in treatment costs for critical conditions, such as HIV, cancer, transplant medicine, and haematology, with a government panel recommending customs duty relaxation on around 200 high-impact medicines, News18 has learnt.
In a move that could provide some relief to patients with cancer and other chronic diseases, an interdepartmental committee constituted by the central government has recommended a set of customs duty exemptions and concessions for high-impact medical imports. The report, accessed by News18, recommends full exemption of customs duty on several global blockbuster cancer drugs such as pembrolizumab (brand Keytruda), osimertinib (brand Tagrisso), and trastuzumab deruxtecan (brand Enhertu)—widely used in treating lung, breast, and other aggressive cancers. These medicines, often costing lakhs per dose, have long remained out of reach for many due to the high import burden.
The panel, formed by the Drug Controller General of India in August 2024, is led by joint drug controller R Chandrashekar along with members from the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), Department of Pharmaceuticals and Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS). The panel aims to make life-saving therapies for cancer, rare diseases, transplants, and advanced diagnostics significantly more affordable for Indian patients.
Beyond Oncology
Apart from cancer medicines, the recommendations cover several other vital drugs, including transplant drugs, critical care medicines, and advanced diagnostic kits that rely on imported inputs or have no equivalent in the domestic market. A second category of drugs—essential but more broadly available—has been proposed for concessional duty at 5%. The list of drugs here includes hydroxyurea, which treats cancer as well as sickle cell anaemia. The other popular drug on this list is low molecular weight heparin, sold under the brand name Enoxaparin, which is used in the treatment and prevention of blood clots and deep vein thrombosis.
The list recommending a customs duty of 5% includes 74 drugs, whereas the one suggesting full exemption has 69 drugs. A separate list for drugs to treat rare diseases has 56 names for customs duty exemption.
A Lifeline for Rare Disease Patients
A section of the report focuses on rare diseases, where treatment costs are often devastating for families. The panel has recommended customs duty exemptions on a group of therapies used to treat conditions such as spinal muscular atrophy, cystic fibrosis, Gaucher disease, Fabry disease, lysosomal storage disorders, and hereditary enzyme deficiencies. Several of these therapies—including gene-based and enzyme replacement treatments—are among the most expensive drugs in the world, with single-course costs running into multiple crores. The blockbuster rare disease drugs in the list include Zolgensma, Spinraza, Evrysdi, Cerezyme, and Takhzyro. All these drugs are very expensive and, in the majority of cases, unaffordable for Indian patients.
Moreover, the panel has recommended 'to constitute a permanent inter-departmental committee under DGHS to review such drugs and provide recommendations in this regard to the Department of Revenue", the report said.
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July 11, 2025, 07:00 IST
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