Govt Approves Prices For 52 Advanced Life Saving Medicines

As well as vaccines for infectious diseases, paving the way for their availability in the local market, the Pakistan administration has approved costs for 52 new essential medicines, including treatments for cancer, hypertension, diabetes and respiratory diseases.

Key points

• The Cabinet Committee considered recommendations from the Drug Pricing Committee and the Policy Board of the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan.
• The administration had earlier approved and notified costs for 35 medicines in April 2026.
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• The committee received a detailed presentation from the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan on new drug cost fixation, hardship cases and the availability of essential medicines.

For context, the decision was taken by a Cabinet Committee constituted by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for drug pricing and chaired lately by Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue Muhammad Aurangzeb. With the latest approval, the administration has approved costs for 87 new essential medicines over the past four months.

For context, the administration had earlier approved and notified costs for 35 medicines in April 2026. Pharmaceutical firms are now awaiting the official notification for the latest 52 medicines. It will allow them to commence manufacturing and importing the products. Industry authorities expect the process to take at least one to two months after the notification is issued.

For context, the delayed pricing of a number of advanced therapies had limited their availability, according to pharmaceutical industry office-holders. They remarked some patients had been forced to either go without treatment or rely on expensive and often unregulated smuggled medicines as rates for the medicines had not been fixed.

Former Pakistan Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association chairman Tauqeer Ul Haq remarked patients would be the biggest beneficiaries of the decision, particularly those requiring advanced treatments for cancer, hypertension and diabetes. He continued that formal rate approval would additionally allow pharmaceutical businesses to export the medicines to other countries.

Meanwhile, the Cabinet Committee considered recommendations from the Drug Pricing Committee and the Policy Board of the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan. Federal Minister for National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination Syed Mustafa Kamal and Federal Minister for Defense Production Muhammad Raza Hayat Harraj additionally attended the gathering.

Notably, the committee received a detailed presentation from the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan on new drug cost fixation, hardship cases and the availability of essential medicines. While balancing patient access and affordability with the sustainability of pharmaceutical supplies, aurangzeb stressed that pricing decisions should be transparent, evidence based and consultative. Stay Connected with ProPakistani.

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Taken together, the developments around govt Approves Prices For 52 Advanced Life Saving Medicines point to a situation that is still moving, and the coming days should bring more clarity.