ISLAMABAD: Pakistan is moving closer to setting official prices for 52 newly registered lifesaving medicines, with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expected to meet the federal health and finance ministers and senior Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) officials to discuss the matter, according to government sources.
The proposed meeting comes at a critical stage in the pricing process, with the medicines already having cleared the relevant drug-pricing forums but still requiring the next level of government approval before they can be formally notified for sale in Pakistan.
Sources said the prime minister will be briefed on the pricing of the 52 medicines as well as hardship cases involving nearly 100 medicines whose manufacturers or importers are seeking price revisions.
PM to receive briefing on 52 new medicines
Health Minister Syed Mustafa Kamal had requested an early meeting with the prime minister, with the planned discussion expected to focus on the pricing of the newly registered medicines and pending hardship cases, sources said.
The meeting is expected to include Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb, Health Minister Mustafa Kamal and senior DRAP officials.
The government is seeking support for moving the pricing decision for the 52 medicines through the remaining approval process, according to the sources.
The development is significant for patients awaiting access to newer treatment options, particularly for serious and potentially life-threatening diseases.
Drug pricing process has already cleared key stages
The 52 medicines have already passed through DRAP's internal pricing mechanism.
According to the information provided by health ministry sources, the DRAP Policy Board and Drug Pricing Committee have approved the proposed prices.
The Cabinet Drug Pricing Committee subsequently approved the pricing of all 52 medicines on July 24, setting the stage for the next step in the federal approval process.
The medicines, however, cannot be legally marketed in Pakistan before the required final approval and subsequent notification of their maximum retail prices.
This means the latest development is not an announcement that the medicines are already available for sale. Rather, it concerns the final stages required before their regulated marketing can begin.
Cancer, diabetes and hemophilia medicines among 52
The proposed list covers medicines intended for a wide range of serious and chronic conditions.
According to sources, the 52 medicines include treatments for:
- Cancer
- Diabetes
- Hemophilia
- Autoimmune disorders
- Blood disorders and blood clots
- Serious infections
- Intensive care
- Emergency treatment
- Other serious medical conditions
The inclusion of medicines for cancer, blood disorders, intensive care and emergency treatment makes the pricing decision particularly consequential for patients who may require specialised or advanced therapies.
Sources said final cabinet approval would pave the way for newer treatment options to become available through the regulated pharmaceutical market.
Nearly 100 hardship cases also await decision
The prime minister is also expected to receive a briefing on medicine hardship cases, with sources saying around 100 medicines for different diseases are currently involved in pending cases.
Hardship cases generally involve requests by manufacturers or importers for price adjustments where they argue that existing approved prices make continued supply difficult.
The cases include medicines considered important for patient care, according to the background information provided by health ministry officials.
Among the medicines cited are influenza vaccines and morphine used in cancer care, alongside other products facing supply-related pressures.
The issue therefore extends beyond the 52 newly registered medicines to a broader question of maintaining the availability of essential medicines whose existing prices may no longer be considered commercially sustainable by suppliers.
What happens after cabinet approval?
The next major step is the federal cabinet's final approval of the proposed prices.
Once the cabinet approves the pricing decision, DRAP is expected to issue the formal notification specifying the medicines' maximum retail prices.
Until that notification is issued, the new medicines cannot lawfully be marketed in Pakistan, according to the information provided by health ministry officials.
The government is therefore at a potentially decisive point in a process that began with the registration and pricing review of the medicines and has now reached the federal approval stage.
Why the decision matters for patients
The pricing of newly registered medicines can directly affect whether newer therapies enter Pakistan's regulated market and whether patients can access them through legal pharmaceutical channels.
For patients with cancer, hemophilia, diabetes, autoimmune diseases and serious infections, availability of newer treatment options can be particularly important when existing therapies are ineffective, unavailable or unsuitable.
At the same time, the pending hardship cases highlight another side of Pakistan's medicine-pricing challenge: keeping essential medicines available while balancing affordability for patients with the rising costs faced by manufacturers and importers.
The planned prime ministerial meeting therefore puts two related medicine-access questions on the government's agenda—how quickly to approve prices for 52 newly registered medicines and how to address pricing pressures affecting almost 100 existing medicines.
If the remaining approval process is completed, patients could see newer medicines enter the regulated Pakistani market, while decisions on hardship cases could determine whether several medicines currently facing supply pressures remain consistently available.
For now, however, the medicines remain subject to the pending approval and notification process, making the upcoming government deliberations an important next step for medicine availability in Pakistan.
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