NPPA revises stent prices a year after 85% cut in costs. Know the revised price.

 India’s drug pricing regulator reworked the prices of coronary stents on Monday—bringing one up marginally and cutting another further—a year after slashing prices by as much as 85%.

The National Pharmaceuticals Pricing Authority (NPPA) brought up the price of bare metal stents (BES) to Rs7,660 from Rs7,260 and reduced the price of drug-eluting and biodegradable stents to Rs27,890 from Rs29,600.

NPPA also listed regulated prices of other essential accessories used during the stenting procedure, including cardiac guidewire, balloon catheter and guiding wire, cardiac drug eluting balloon or cutting balloon and cardiac guiding catheter.

NPPA’s original price cut imposed in February last year radically lowered the prices of stents, which are mesh tubes placed in arteries to improve blood flow. Before the cap, bare metal stents sold for Rs45,000 and drug-eluting stents for Rs1.21 lakh.

NPPA also decided against multinational stent makers’ request for a new category for advanced stents. The latest order will remain valid till 31 March 2019.