The Freelance, New Delhi. During a reality check by our reporting team in a major medicine market in Delhi, the findings were deeply disturbing. A life-saving cancer medication with a trade price (PTR) of just Rs 2,700 was being sold in the open market at an exorbitant rate of Rs 27,000—a massive tenfold markup. This is not just a statistical anomaly, but a direct assault on the lives of millions of families already battling cancer. The Supreme Court has taken strict note of this, terming such exorbitant profiteering akin to 'genocide'.
The Shadowy Game of MRP and PTR
Our ground investigation revealed how margins across the pharmaceutical supply chain exploit vulnerable patients. While the manufacturing and trade costs remain low, the final Maximum Retail Price (MRP) places these essential drugs beyond the reach of the common man. The Supreme Court's strong remarks serve as a wake-up call regarding the massive Rs 5,381 crore pharmaceutical trade operating at the cost of human empathy.
ED Raids and the Counterfeit Drug Menace
Adding to this crisis is the thriving illegal trade of counterfeit cancer drugs. Recent Enforcement Directorate (ED) raids have exposed vast networks, seizing heavy amounts of cash and fake medications. The question remains: how long will desperate patients fall prey to this lethal trade? Strict government intervention, price capping, and uncompromising regulatory enforcement are urgently needed to protect public health and restore basic human rights to medical access.
