<p align="justify">The Union government has directed pharma companies not to withdraw coronary stents from the market on the pretext of relabelling.<br /><br />It has rolled out a notification to tackle the sudden scarcity of stents at hospitals, Union Minister for Pharmaceuticals H N Ananth Kumar said on Friday.<br /><br />On Wednesday, a day after a price cap came into force, hospitals said manufacturers were taking their stents back. Stents are tube-like devices that improve blood flow to the heart.<br /><br />DH was the first to report the shortage and what Dr Devi Shetty, chairman of Narayana Health, described as ‘commotion’ at the hospitals.<br /><br />The Centre’s notification directs manufacturers to continue making stents in the same volumes as the last three years.<br /><br />Speaking on the sidelines of an event, Kumar said manufacturers needn’t withdraw stents just to relabel them. “But they must sell them at the capped prices,” he said.<br /><br />Patient savings<br /><br />The minister contended price restrictions would not adversely impact the device industry. <br /><br />“The average MRP in the market was Rs 45,000 for bare metal stents and Rs 1.21 lakh for drug-eluting stents. This is now Rs 7,623 and Rs 31,080. Patients will get an average benefit of Rs 80,000 to Rs 90,000 per stent, resulting in a gross relief of Rs 4,450 crore in a year,” he said.<br /><br />According to a health ministry report, more than 3.5 lakh procedures were performed in 2015 using 4.73 lakh stents.<br /><br />In 2016, the numbers must have touched five lakh, he said. The market for stents made in India is roughly 30%.<br /><br />Doctors’ take<br /><br />Dr C N Manjunath, director of Sri Jayadeva Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences and Research, and Dr Devi Shetty have criticised the government’s decision to regulate prices. </p>.<p align="justify"><em>Warning on price<br />Hospitals and manufacturers caught flouting the price restriction on coronary stents will attract punishment, Union Minister Ananth Kumar warned.<br /><br />“Violations or deviations will attract criminal charges and cancellation of licences. The excess cost will have to be returned to the buyer with 15% interest,” he said.<br /><br />In a statement, the Medical Technology Association of India (MTaI) said member companies had only recalled their products for relabelling with slashed prices. </em></p>
<p align="justify">The Union government has directed pharma companies not to withdraw coronary stents from the market on the pretext of relabelling.<br /><br />It has rolled out a notification to tackle the sudden scarcity of stents at hospitals, Union Minister for Pharmaceuticals H N Ananth Kumar said on Friday.<br /><br />On Wednesday, a day after a price cap came into force, hospitals said manufacturers were taking their stents back. Stents are tube-like devices that improve blood flow to the heart.<br /><br />DH was the first to report the shortage and what Dr Devi Shetty, chairman of Narayana Health, described as ‘commotion’ at the hospitals.<br /><br />The Centre’s notification directs manufacturers to continue making stents in the same volumes as the last three years.<br /><br />Speaking on the sidelines of an event, Kumar said manufacturers needn’t withdraw stents just to relabel them. “But they must sell them at the capped prices,” he said.<br /><br />Patient savings<br /><br />The minister contended price restrictions would not adversely impact the device industry. <br /><br />“The average MRP in the market was Rs 45,000 for bare metal stents and Rs 1.21 lakh for drug-eluting stents. This is now Rs 7,623 and Rs 31,080. Patients will get an average benefit of Rs 80,000 to Rs 90,000 per stent, resulting in a gross relief of Rs 4,450 crore in a year,” he said.<br /><br />According to a health ministry report, more than 3.5 lakh procedures were performed in 2015 using 4.73 lakh stents.<br /><br />In 2016, the numbers must have touched five lakh, he said. The market for stents made in India is roughly 30%.<br /><br />Doctors’ take<br /><br />Dr C N Manjunath, director of Sri Jayadeva Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences and Research, and Dr Devi Shetty have criticised the government’s decision to regulate prices. </p>.<p align="justify"><em>Warning on price<br />Hospitals and manufacturers caught flouting the price restriction on coronary stents will attract punishment, Union Minister Ananth Kumar warned.<br /><br />“Violations or deviations will attract criminal charges and cancellation of licences. The excess cost will have to be returned to the buyer with 15% interest,” he said.<br /><br />In a statement, the Medical Technology Association of India (MTaI) said member companies had only recalled their products for relabelling with slashed prices. </em></p>