India’s drug pricing agency has raised by 50 per cent the price caps on 11 formulations of eight drugs used to treat asthma, glaucoma and tuberculosis among other health disorders, the Centre announced on Monday.

The National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA), in response to representations from drug makers, has approved increases in ceiling prices of the 11 formulations by 50 per cent of their current ceiling prices, the Press Information Bureau said.

The price cap revision will apply to various formulations of benzyl penicillin, atropine, streptomycin, salbutamol, pilocarpine, cefadroxil, desferrioxamine and lithium.

“Most of these drugs are low-cost and generally used as first-line treatment crucial to public health programmes,” the government said. The revision in ceiling prices was intended “to meet the twin objectives of availability and affordability”, it said.

The NPPA has been receiving applications from drug makers for upward revision of prices citing increased costs of pharmaceutical ingredients and production and changes in exchange rates.