Cancer, Diabetes and Emergency Treatments Affected
More than 40 critical medicine for are not available in Pakistan because Govt hasn’t approve their official price. This delay is affecting patients with life threating diseases like cancer, cancer, diabetes, haemophilia, Parkinson’s disease including other serious illness. Now patients have not way out and they are relying on unregistered and smuggled medicine on high prices.
Approved Medicines Cannot Enter the Legal Market
The Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan has already registered the medicines. However, companies cannot legally sell them without government-approved maximum retail prices.
The affected medicines include Keytruda and Nivolumab for cancer treatment. Humador insulin for diabetes is also awaiting price approval.
Other delayed products include Adalimumab for autoimmune diseases and recombinant Factor VIII for haemophilia A.
Carbidopa-Levodopa for Parkinson’s disease is also unavailable. Dabigatran and Heparin, used to prevent blood clots, remain affected.
The list also includes Methyldopa for pregnancy-related hypertension. Meropenem and Fosfomycin are needed for severe bacterial infections.
Ketamine, which is widely used in anaesthesia and emergency care, is also awaiting approval.
Pricing Recommendations Pending Since 2025
The Drug Pricing Committee finalised its recommendations between December 2024 and June 2025.
The recommendations were endorsed by the regulatory authority’s Policy Board. They were then sent to the federal government for final approval.
However, the required price notifications have still not been issued.
The pending list also covers vaccines, intensive care medicines, radiology contrast agents and electrolyte solutions.
These products are routinely used in hospitals, emergency departments and intensive care units.
