Karachi [Pakistan], July 20 : Nearly 40 newly registered life-saving medicines remain unavailable in Pakistan despite receiving regulatory approval, as the federal government has yet to notify their retail prices, leaving thousands of patients dependent on costly smuggled or unregistered alternatives, Dawn reported.
According to Dawn, the pending medicines include treatments for cancer, diabetes, haemophilia, Parkinson's disease, autoimmune disorders, severe bacterial infections, blood-clot prevention and hypertension during pregnancy.
The list also includes vaccines, intensive care medicines, radiology contrast agents and other essential hospital products.
As reported by Dawn, medicines such as Keytruda (Pembrolizumab), Nivolumab, Humador insulin, Adalimumab, recombinant Factor VIII, Carbidopa-Levodopa, Dabigatran, Heparin, Methyldopa, Meropenem, Fosfomycin and Ketamine have already been registered by the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (Drap).
However, they cannot be legally marketed until the federal government approves and notifies their maximum retail prices.
The report said that Drap had completed the required regulatory process, and the Drug Pricing Committee finalised recommendations for these medicines between December 2024 and June 2025.
The proposals were subsequently endorsed by the Drap Policy Board and forwarded to the federal government, where final approval is still pending.
According to Dawn, the Ministry of National Health Services said prices for an earlier batch of 35 newly registered medicines have already been approved, while the remaining 40 are awaiting clearance from the Cabinet Committee and the federal cabinet.
Pakistan Chemists and Druggists Association Chairman Abdul Samad Buddani warned that the prolonged delay is forcing patients and their families to seek medicines through unregulated channels.
He said that when essential medicines are unavailable at licensed pharmacies, many people turn to smuggled products whose quality, storage conditions and authenticity cannot be verified, increasing risks to both treatment and patient safety.
The Pakistan Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association (PPMA) also urged the federal government to expedite the approval process, stressing that pharmaceutical companies cannot legally introduce newly registered medicines into the market until official retail prices are notified, leaving critical treatments inaccessible to patients in need.