The latest approval brings the number of new essential medicines with cleared prices to 87 in four months, but market availability will take additional time.
The federal government has approved prices for 52 new essential medicines, including advanced treatments for cancer, hypertension, diabetes and respiratory diseases, as well as vaccines against infectious diseases.
The decision is expected to improve access to several critical medicines whose prices had not previously been formally determined in Pakistan. Pharmaceutical companies will be able to proceed with manufacturing and importing the newly priced products after the government issues the official notification.
The approval was granted by a Cabinet Committee established by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to oversee drug-pricing matters. Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue Muhammad Aurangzeb chairs the committee.
With the latest approval, the government has cleared prices for 87 new essential medicines over the past four months. In April 2026, prices for 35 medicines were approved and later notified.
Pharmaceutical companies are now awaiting the formal notification covering the latest 52 medicines. Industry representatives said manufacturers and importers would require additional time after notification to complete regulatory, manufacturing, import and supply-chain arrangements.
Pharmaceutical industry officials estimate the process could take about one to two months after notification, depending on production, imports and distribution requirements.
Patients Expected to Benefit
The pricing decision could benefit patients who require expensive or specialized treatments. Industry representatives have previously raised concerns that delays in price fixation can discourage companies from introducing certain advanced medicines into the local market.
According to industry officials, the absence of approved prices contributed to limited availability of some specialized treatments. In some cases, patients reportedly sought medicines through informal channels, including costly imported or smuggled products.
Former Pakistan Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association chairman Tauqeer Ul Haq welcomed the decision, saying patients undergoing treatment for serious diseases would be among its primary beneficiaries.
He said formal price approval could improve access to advanced medicines through legal and regulated channels while creating opportunities for pharmaceutical companies to manufacture and export some products.
DRAP Recommendations Considered
The Cabinet Committee reviewed recommendations submitted by the Drug Pricing Committee and the Policy Board of the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP).
Federal Minister for National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination Syed Mustafa Kamal and Federal Minister for Defence Production Muhammad Raza Hayat Harraj also attended the meeting.
DRAP briefed the committee on several aspects of the pharmaceutical market, including price fixation for new medicines, hardship cases and the availability of essential drugs.
The committee reviewed the recommendations with a focus on maintaining medicine availability while supporting a sustainable supply for manufacturers and importers.
Muhammad Aurangzeb emphasized the need for drug-pricing decisions to remain transparent, evidence-based and consultative. He said pricing policies should balance medicine affordability for patients with the financial sustainability necessary to maintain uninterrupted supplies.
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