New Delhi: In a significant move to alleviate the financial burden on cancer patients, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced a full exemption of customs duties on three critical cancer drugs during her presentation of the Union Budget 2024-25 in Lok Sabha on Tuesday.

The three cancer drugs that will now be more affordable are:

1. Trastuzumab Deruxtecan: This antibody-drug is used to treat breast cancer.
2. Osimertinib: A targeted therapy for non-small cell lung cancer.
3. Durvalumab: An immunotherapy drug used to treat lung cancer.

The elimination of customs duty on these life-saving drugs aims to provide relief to patients struggling with mounting healthcare costs. By reducing the import costs, these drugs will become more affordable for patients, potentially decreasing their prices by 10-20%.

Finance Minister Sitharaman also reduced the basic customs duty on x-ray tubes and flat panel detectors used in medical x-ray machines, further emphasizing the government’s commitment to improving access to advanced medical treatments.