The Coronary Stent Drama

The National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority recently stirred up a controversy when it announced 85% reduction in the coronary stent price. The market leader for the same, a company called Abbott thereafter refused to sell the stent for the deflated price citing their really diminished profit margin.

The NPPA however has stood its ground on this issue and set the ceiling price for stents. According to the new law,

The biodegradable stent that used to cost Rs.1 lakhs upwards will now cost Rs.30,000.
Bare metal stents that used to cost Rs.24,000 now will cost Rs.7500.

A coronary stent keep your arteries open while patients undergo treatment for coronary disease. In India where cardiovascular diseases are rampant, stents are useful for a number of major surgeries and treatments.This move mainly will be helpful in bringing down the cost of Angioplasty in private as well as public hospitals.

Stents are now a part of National List of Essential Medicines in India thus helping in steeply bringing down the price of the essential commodity.

The move will provide relief to a countless Indian suffering from heart diseases. Besides it is also seen a step to bolster the medical device industry in India that is heavily import based. This move will encourage more Indian players to produce medical devices in India.

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