The National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) has brought down the prices of anti-diabetic bulk drug glipizide considerably, increased the prices of four other bulk drugs, and revised the prices of 92 formulations.

The NPPA cut down the price of glipizide from Rs.26,114 to Rs.15,946 per kg, in a measure that would ease the burden of chronic patients taking the oral rapid- and short-acting anti-diabetic drug. A number of multinational and generic companies manufacture and market this drug. Earlier the price was fixed on April 2009.

The notification by the NPPA, dated November 16, however increased the prices of ibuprofen, rifampicin, iodochlorohydroxyquinoline (ICHQ) and metronidazole with its derivatives. The price of popular pain-killer ibuprofen went up from Rs.498 to Rs.527 per kg. It was revised earlier in September, 2011.

Likewise, the price of rifampicin was hiked to Rs.4,485 per kg from Rs.4,111, revised also in September 2011. The new price of ICHQ is Rs.1,526 per kg, against the existing price of Rs.1,158, fixed in September 2011, said the price regulator.

The price of metronidazole was also increased from Rs.514 to Rs.588 per kg while its derivative metronidazole benzoate became expensive from Rs.450 to Rs.525 per kg. The prices of both the bulk drugs were fixed earlier in July 2011.

The agency also revised the prices of 92 formulations. The packs included those of dexamethasone with combination, gentamycin with combination, multivitamin, human insulin, pred forte, madopar, vitalux plus, apidra/lantus, and monocomponent human insulin.