Selection of medicines for the NLEM should not be based on patent status

In India, after decades of neglect, a process to review and update the National List of Essential Medicines (NLEM) started in 2015. Several rounds of review, focusing on different diseases have been announced to ensure the list is relevant for the evolving public health context in the country.

The recent review and consultations held by the Standing National Committee on Medicines (SNCM) have attracted the giants of the pharma industry as they are keen to discourage the addition of their new lucrative pharma products to the NLEM. The list attracts National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority's (NPPA) attention as it is legally required to regulate the prices of drugs added to the NLEM under the Drug Price Control Order (DPCO). This is a bitter pill for the industry and the private healthcare sector to swallow, as the business model is to make millions with huge profit margins built into the price of new drugs from patients and their families.