{"entity":{"id":"paper-pramesh-ncg-pooled-procurement-2023","kind":"paper","name":"A National Cancer Grid pooled procurement initiative, India","aka":[],"tldr":"When 23 Indian cancer centres bought 40 cancer drugs together instead of separately, prices fell by a median of 82%, saving about 13 billion rupees against list prices.","summary":"Report in the Bulletin of the World Health Organization of the National Cancer Grid's pooled procurement pilot: 40 anticancer drugs, pooled demand from 23 cancer centres worth about 15.6 billion Indian rupees (197 million dollars) at maximum retail price, and a negotiated cost reduction of about 13.2 billion rupees (166.7 million dollars). Savings ranged from 23% to 99% per drug (median 82%), larger for generics than for innovator or newly patented drugs, and were achieved through group negotiation of fixed prices and uniform contracts with standardised terms.","asOf":"2026-09-10","links":[{"label":"Bull WHO 2023","url":"https://doi.org/10.2471/BLT.23.289714"}],"tags":[],"related":[],"cancers":[],"sections":[],"technologies":["global-oncology-access"],"targets":[],"drugs":[],"companies":[],"institutions":["national-cancer-grid","tata-memorial"],"pathways":[],"terms":[],"trials":[],"people":["pramesh-c-s"],"bottlenecks":["b-drug-pricing","b-global-access"],"keyPapers":[],"journals":[],"dependsOn":[],"notes":[],"journal":"Bulletin of the World Health Organization","year":2023,"doi":"10.2471/BLT.23.289714","authors":"Pramesh CS, Sengar M, Patankar S, et al.","paperType":"real-world","findings":["40 drugs, 23 centres, pooled demand of about 15.6 billion rupees at maximum retail price.","Cost reduction of about 13.2 billion rupees (166.7 million dollars).","Savings per drug 23% to 99%, median 82%; larger for generics than innovator drugs.","Mechanism: group negotiation, fixed prices, uniform contracts with standardised terms."],"whatItMeans":"Buying power, not new science, is the fastest lever on cancer drug prices in a decentralised, under-funded system. The Grid's model is being extended across its 360-plus centres and offers a template for other middle-income countries and for pooled buying of newer, patented drugs.","caveats":["Savings are measured against maximum retail price, which overstates the gain versus prices large centres already negotiated.","Innovator and patented drugs saw far smaller discounts; the model works best for generics.","Sustaining supply quality and adherence to contracts across many hospitals is an ongoing task."],"changedPractice":true},"route":"/key-papers/paper-pramesh-ncg-pooled-procurement-2023/","neighbours":{"technology":[{"id":"global-oncology-access","kind":"technology","name":"Global oncology and access in low- and middle-income countries","route":"/technologies/global-oncology-access/"}],"institution":[{"id":"national-cancer-grid","kind":"institution","name":"National Cancer Grid of India","route":"/institutions/national-cancer-grid/"},{"id":"tata-memorial","kind":"institution","name":"Tata Memorial Centre","route":"/institutions/tata-memorial/"}],"person":[{"id":"pramesh-c-s","kind":"person","name":"C. S. Pramesh","route":"/people/pramesh-c-s/"}],"bottleneck":[{"id":"b-global-access","kind":"bottleneck","name":"Most of the world has almost no cancer care","route":"/bottlenecks/b-global-access/"},{"id":"b-drug-pricing","kind":"bottleneck","name":"Prices and value","route":"/bottlenecks/b-drug-pricing/"}],"roadmap":[{"id":"global-access-roadmap","kind":"roadmap","name":"Global access and affordability roadmap: essential medicines and generics → biosimilars and frugal trials → reliance, pooling and homegrown innovation","route":"/roadmaps/global-access-roadmap/"}]}}