The incidence of cancer is growing globally, especially in India. In 2022, the number of new cancer cases in India was over 1.4 million people – slightly less than the figure in the US. Of course, many cases of cancer are never diagnosed in India and that is why the number of cases is below the US. However, the number of deaths from cancer in India was 25% more than in the US in the same year. In India, cancer is a bit more prevalent in women than men with the leading cancers for women being breast, cervix, ovary, lung, and uterus. For men, the incidence of lung, prostate, tongue, and mouth are the most common cancer types.
Accordingly, the Indian government has lowered the duty rates of the more widespread cancers for men (lung) and women (breast). The current duty on these three types of cancer drugs before the government announcement was 10% – and now it will be a lot less. Such price savings on these life-sustaining drugs will allow more Indian patients to be able to afford cancer drugs and leave monies for other medical needs including tests and scans. The three cancer drugs that will no longer have customs duties are – 1. Osimertinib (Tagrisso), 2. Durvalumab (Imfinzi), and 3. Trastuzumab deruxtecan (Enhertu).
Written by: Ames Gross – President and Founder, Pacific Bridge Medical (PBM)
Mr. Gross founded PBM in 1988 and has helped hundreds of medical companies with regulatory and business development issues in Asia. He is recognized nationally and internationally as a leader in the Asian medical markets. Mr. Gross has a BA degree, Phi Beta Kappa, from the University of Pennsylvania and an MBA from Columbia University.