Guwahati: The Supreme Court questioned a 10-fold difference between the price of an essential cancer medicine sold to retailers and the amount charged to consumers, asking authorities why such a disparity had been allowed to continue.

A bench comprising Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta was hearing petitions seeking regulation of drug prices, medical equipment and generic medicines to make essential treatment more affordable.

During the hearing, the bench referred to a cancer drug that manufacturers reportedly sell to retailers for around Rs2,700 but is subsequently sold in the market for Rs27,000.

The judges expressed strong concern over the impact of such price differences on patients, particularly those who struggle to meet the high costs of cancer treatment. The bench questioned why the authorities responsible for monitoring pharmaceutical pricing had not taken action.

The Supreme Court specifically questioned the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) and the Department of Pharmaceuticals over the reported gap between the retailer purchase price and the market price.

The petitions were filed by advocate Kishan Chand Jain and doctor Sanjay Kulshresthra. They seek the court’s intervention in regulating the prices of medicines, medical equipment and generic drugs.

The Centre, represented by Additional Solicitor General KM Nataraj, told the court that the government did not consider the proceedings to be adversarial. The Centre is expected to place details of the existing regulatory mechanisms before the court at the next hearing on September 29.

Representing pharmaceutical manufacturers, senior advocate Kapil Sibal told the court that retailers, rather than manufacturers, were earning the profits from the significant price difference.

The case has brought renewed focus on the mechanisms governing drug pricing and the extent to which the existing regulatory framework addresses large differences between the prices at which medicines enter the retail chain and the prices ultimately paid by patients.

The petitions seek measures to improve affordability and regulate the prices of essential medicines, medical equipment and generic drugs.