The Pakistan government has approved prices for 52 new essential medicines, including treatments for cancer, hypertension, diabetes and respiratory diseases, as well as vaccines for infectious diseases, paving the way for their availability in the local market.
The decision was taken by a Cabinet Committee constituted by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for drug pricing and chaired recently by Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue Muhammad Aurangzeb. With the latest approval, the government has approved prices for 87 new essential medicines over the past four months.
The government had earlier approved and notified prices for 35 medicines in April 2026. Pharmaceutical companies are now awaiting the official notification for the latest 52 medicines, which will allow them to begin manufacturing and importing the products. Industry officials expect the process to take at least one to two months after the notification is issued.
The delayed pricing of several advanced therapies had limited their availability, according to pharmaceutical industry officials. They said some patients had been forced to either go without treatment or rely on expensive and often unregulated smuggled medicines because prices for the medicines had not been fixed.
Former Pakistan Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association chairman Tauqeer Ul Haq said patients would be the biggest beneficiaries of the decision, particularly those requiring advanced treatments for cancer, hypertension and diabetes. He added that formal price approval would also allow pharmaceutical companies to export the medicines to other countries.
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 also attended the meeting.
The committee received a detailed presentation from the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan on new drug price fixation, hardship cases and the availability of essential medicines. Aurangzeb stressed that pricing decisions should be transparent, evidence based and consultative, while balancing patient access and affordability with the sustainability of pharmaceutical supplies.
The post Govt Approves Prices For 52 Advanced Life Saving Medicines appeared first on ProPakistani.