Union Budget 2026: 17 Cancer Drugs Get Import Duty Exemption To Cut Costs And Save Lives

In the Union Budget 2026-27, presented on February 1, 2026 by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, the Government of India announced a significant healthcare relief measure by exempting basic customs duty on 17 key cancer drugs. This policy aims to significantly lower treatment costs for patients battling life-threatening cancers, many of whom depend on imported, high-cost medicines. Imported oncology drugs often attract substantial duties, which can inflate retail prices and add to the financial burden on patients and families. By removing basic customs duty on these medicines, the government hopes to make advanced therapies more affordable and accessible, especially for patients lacking comprehensive insurance cover.

Cancer remains one of India's major health challenges, with rising incidence and mortality rates. According to the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and other global health bodies, cancer treatment increasingly relies on targeted therapies and immunotherapies that disrupt cancer-promoting pathways or harness the immune system to fight tumours. While these treatments can significantly improve survival and quality of life, they come at a high cost. The Budget move, therefore, reflects a policy effort to bridge the affordability gap while complementing broader healthcare infrastructure and manufacturing initiatives under the "Biopharma Shakti" vision.

Also Read: Union Budget 2026: Duty Relief On Cancer Drugs, Import Exemptions For Rare Diseases

India's Cancer Drug Duty Exemption: What's On The List And Why It Matters

1. Which Drugs Are Now Duty-Free?

The finance ministry has added the following 17 cancer drugs to the list of medicines exempted from basic customs duty on import:

1. Ribociclib
2. Abemaciclib
3. Talycabtagene autoleucel
4. Tremelimumab
5. Venetoclax
6. Ceritinib
7. Brigatinib
8. Darolutamide
9. Toripalimab
10. Serplulimab
11. Tislelizumab
12. Inotuzumab ozogamicin
13. Ponatinib
14. Ibrutinib
15. Dabrafenib
16. Trametinib
17. Ipilimumab

This list spans targeted therapies, immunotherapies, gene-modified cell therapies, and small-molecule inhibitors widely used in advanced oncology care.

2. How These Medicines Work And Their Clinical Role

• Ribociclib and Abemaciclib: Both are CDK4/6 inhibitors used to treat hormone receptor-positive breast cancers by blocking proteins that drive uncontrolled cell division, slowing tumour growth and extending survival. CDK4/6 inhibitors have become standard of care in advanced hormone-positive breast cancer.
• Venetoclax: A BH3-mimetic that targets the Bcl-2 protein to trigger cancer cell death, particularly effective in chronic lymphocytic leukaemia and other blood cancers.
• Ibrutinib: Inhibits Bruton's tyrosine kinase (BTK), blocking B-cell receptor signaling critical for survival of certain lymphomas and leukemias.
• Immunotherapies (e.g., Tremelimumab, Ipilimumab, Toripalimab): These medicines unleash the body's immune system against cancer by blocking immune checkpoints, proteins that tumors use to evade immune attack. Their use has revolutionised treatment for melanoma, lung cancer and other advanced solid tumours.
• Targeted inhibitors (e.g., Ceritinib, Brigatinib, Ponatinib, Dabrafenib, Trametinib): These drugs block specific mutated proteins that drive cancer cell growth, such as ALK or BRAF mutations, and are essential in precision oncology regimens.

Also Read: Union Budget 2026: How Import Duty Exemption On Rare Disease Drugs Could Make Treatments Cheaper

Why This Exemption Matters

Imported cancer medicines can constitute a large portion of treatment costs due to duties and logistics, often running into lakhs per cycle. Duty exemptions will reduce landed costs, potentially translating to lower patient expenses. Even small duty savings can be meaningful over prolonged courses of therapy. This measure is especially significant for India, where out-of-pocket healthcare spending remains high and access to advanced therapies is uneven. It complements domestic healthcare expansions and efforts to rationalise the pharmaceutical supply chain.

Furthermore, targeted therapies and immunotherapies have been shown in numerous controlled trials to improve progression-free and overall survival in specific cancer subtypes, thereby not only prolonging life but improving quality of life.

"Patients undergoing treatment who require these expensive medicines will significantly benefit from this decision," says Dr. K. Sreekanth, Senior Consultant Surgical Oncologist, Yashoda Hospitals, Hyderabad. "While some medicines may be affordable, many are not, and patients often have to stretch their finances to purchase them. In many cases, patients drop out after four or five cycles of treatment because affordability becomes a major issue. Some are forced to borrow money to continue treatment, as it becomes a life-saving necessity. Many patients initially start treatment but are unable to continue midway due to financial burden and lack of access to loans."

"This move will be beneficial not only for patients but also for insurance companies, as a reduction in medicine costs lowers the financial burden on insurers as well," adds Dr. Sreekanth. "Ultimately, this decision benefits all stakeholders such as patients, the insurance sector, and the healthcare system. I sincerely appreciate and congratulate the government on this initiative. It is likely to reduce treatment defaults, improve treatment continuity, and increase the number of cancer survivors. By enabling patients to complete their treatment, this decision will directly and indirectly help in curing disease or prolonging patients' lives."

By exempting basic customs duty on 17 critical cancer drugs, the Union Budget 2026-27 takes an important step toward reducing the economic burden of cancer treatment in India. This move is expected to lower import costs, enhance availability of advanced therapies, and provide financial relief for patients undergoing prolonged, often expensive cancer care. While not a panacea for all challenges in oncology, this policy aligns with global medical evidence emphasising access to targeted and immunotherapeutic agents as key drivers of better cancer outcomes. Continued efforts to strengthen domestic manufacturing and healthcare financing will be crucial to sustain and expand these gains.

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