# Health Ministry maps production capacity of 153 critical drugs for CGHS

2026-09-15T03:51:38+00:00 | Governance | Indian Opinion Desk

Corroboration: 1 independent outlet

The health ministry is mapping the domestic manufacturing capacity of 153 specialised medicines to speed up procurement for the Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS), which serves 4.2 million central government employees and pensioners. Currently, these high-value drugs for cancer, diabetes, spinal muscular atrophy and multiple myeloma are bought case-by-case after prescriptions, causing long delays and out-of-pocket costs for patients. CGHS has given pharmaceutical companies and authorised importers 15 days to submit regulatory approvals, production details and patent expiry dates. The data will allow the government to shift to centralised bulk procurement, track when cheaper generic versions can enter the market, and curb recurring shortages. The schedule covers targeted therapies such as Abemaciclib, Trastuzumab Deruxtecan, and Donanemab for Alzheimer’s.

## Indian Opinion Analysis

CGHS covers 4.2 million central government employees and pensioners, making it one of India's largest employer-based health schemes. The shift from individual prescription-based procurement to centralised bulk buying mirrors a similar transition the ministry attempted for the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana in 2023, which reduced costs for cardiac stents by over 50 per cent. Under the current case-by-case model, patients often wait weeks for approvals and pay upfront if the medicine is not in stock. The patent data that companies must now submit is key: once a patent expires, the government can invite bids from generic makers, typically cutting prices by 70 to 90 per cent on cancer and diabetes drugs. The health ministry will analyse these responses to finalise tender volumes and contracting schedules, with the first bulk procurement cycle likely in the next quarter.

## Coverage

- livemint.com <https://www.livemint.com/news/cghs-domestic-manufacturing-capacity-153-critical-drugs-supply-delays-oncology-diabetes-muscular-atrophy-patients-11789378837821.html>

Tags: Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation, CGHS, health ministry, Priyanka Sharma
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