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Urgent inclusion needed for advanced cancer drugs to improve patient outcomes

Published July 6, 2026 at 2:55 PM UTC

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Patient advocacy groups and health experts stress that the omission of new cancer therapies like pembrolizumab and ibrutinib from the NLEM significantly hinders access to life-saving treatments. By excluding these drugs, many patients face prohibitively high costs, limiting their treatment options and potentially worsening survival rates. Updating the NLEM to encompass these advanced therapies would not only regulate prices but also align India's cancer care standards with global practices, ultimately improving outcomes for patients across the country.