Read on the app
Budget in Hindi: There was also a relief announcement for patients in the budget presented by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday. The government has announced to reduce the customs duty on medicines used in the treatment of cancer, after which the prices may come down drastically. The special thing is that this is also being seen as a big relief for the common man. The government has also reduced customs duty on many medical equipment.
These are the medicines
The central government has proposed in the budget to exempt customs duty on the import of Trastuzumab Deruxtecan (for breast cancer or gastroesophageal adenocarcinoma), Osimeritinib (for lung cancer with specific mutations) and Durvalumabs (for lung and bile duct cancer). The government has proposed to reduce the 10 percent duty on these drugs to zero.
how much is the price
All three of these drugs are manufactured by the British company AstraZeneca. According to media reports, trastuzumab is sold under the deruxtecan Enhertu brand, which costs Rs 3 lakh per vial. Whereas, 10 tablets of osimertinib’s brand Tagrisu cost Rs 1.51 lakh. Durvalumab costs Rs 45,500 per vial.
what did the experts say
Talking to PTI, Fortis Healthcare Ltd Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Dr Ashutosh Raghuvanshi said that by giving customs duty exemption on the import of these medicines, the government has taken a concrete step in reducing the financial burden during cancer treatment.
Further, proposed changes in BCD (basic customs duty) for X-ray tubes and flat panel detectors under the phased manufacturing programme will significantly benefit domestic OEM manufacturers by reducing costs, encouraging local sourcing and enhancing competition, he said.
