Why India is facing a sudden shortage of 2 key chemotherapy drugs

Cisplatin and Carboplatin, two commonly used and affordable cancer chemotherapy drugs, have been facing a critical shortage across India over the last two weeks. It has now prompted oncologists to raise an alarm.

The industry experts note that the key reason for the shortage is the increase in prices of raw materials, triggered by the Strait of Hormuz crisis, and the inability of firms to increase prices as they fall under government price control regulations.

Global supply shortage and economic issues in manufacturing chemotherapy have squeezed access to drugs cisplatin and carboplatin, disrupting treatment schedules of cancer patients and forcing doctors treating cancer patients to either struggle to make difficult treatment decisions or switch therapeutic compromises.

Cisplatin and carboplatin are platinum-containing chemotherapy agents widely used as initial treatments for head and neck, lung, ovarian, and gastrointestinal cancers.

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Why is there a shortage of supply?

The shortage is not just a single point of failure. It has intensified since late 2025, reflecting the intersection of pressures across manufacturing, pricing, and supply chain.

Global platinum prices have soared, driven mainly by mining disruptions, global instability, and rising demand from the semiconductor and artificial intelligence manufacturing sectors.

Simultaneously, domestic price controls under the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) have kept reimbursement rates well below the rising cost of production, leaving manufacturers unable to maintain sustainable profit margins on these essential medicines.

Global supply shortages and economic issues in manufacturing chemotherapy drugs have squeezed access to the drugs cisplatin and carboplatin. Representational image/AP

An industry veteran, who requested anonymity, told Neews18, “The fundamental problem is that price controls have become divorced from manufacturing realities."

He explained that when the central government, via NPPA, sets a maximum allowed price for cisplatin or carboplatin, and global platinum raw material costs spike by 40-60 per cent, manufacturers are left with a simple choice: produce at a loss or allocate capacity elsewhere.

“Sterile chemotherapy manufacturing is capital-intensive, requires expensive quality controls, and carries a regulatory burden. If your per-unit margin collapses from Rs 200 to Rs 50 or becomes negative, you don’t scale production—you reduce it or pause it entirely," he said.

Adding, "It’s not a supply shortage born from scarcity; it’s a rational business decision."

A senior government radiation oncologist, Dr Wajahat Ahmed, also stated the same reason and termed the shortage "a silent clinical crisis".

“Cornerstone cancer drugs Cisplatin and Carboplatin are vanishing from pharmacy shelves. For thousands of cancer patients, a delay in chemotherapy isn’t an inconvenience; it’s a death sentence."

“The cost of raw platinum surged from Rs 3.8k to nearly Rs 8k/gram due to geopolitical instability and demand from AI/tech. Yet, domestic price caps remain frozen. Pharma companies are halting production because manufacturing them is a total financial loss. The impact? Heartbreaking. Doctors are forced to ration remaining vials. Families are being driven to the black market, paying devastating out-of-pocket prices just to save their loved ones. Government intervention via the NPPA for urgent price revisions is desperately needed," he explained.

What are medical experts saying?

Delays in treatment, dose reductions, disrupted chemotherapy schedules, and inventory pressure are becoming routine, according to several doctors.

Dr MV Chandrakanth, medical oncologist at Narayana Health, Kolkata, said, "This is not simply a cisplatin or carboplatin shortage. It reflects broader challenges involving manufacturing economics, raw-material costs, and oncology supply chains. Our immediate priority is ensuring that patients continue to receive timely and effective cancer treatment."

Our hospital pharmacy has run out of Cisplatin and Carboplatin. Nearly seven in 10 patients in my clinic need one of these drugs. They are prescribed for oral, lung, cervical, oesophageal, ovarian, and breast cancer, among others. Now, we have cancer patients running from one store to another in search of this medicine. My colleagues in other cities are also facing a similar situation,” asserted Dr Shyam Agarwal, chairman of medical oncology at Sir Gangaram Hospital, as reported in the Indian Express.

Describing the situation as a recurring structural problem, Raajit Chanana, director and senior consultant at Dharamshila Narayana Superspeciality Hospital in New Delhi, told News18, “Shortage of this drug has become a recurring problem. Now, more problematic—we are getting emails from hospital procurement stating cisplatin and carboplatin are unavailable due to global short supply. While we are trained enough to manage various scenarios and have begun replacing it with other drugs, these alternatives have shown inferior results and are costlier."

“We are caught between clinical necessity and inventory depletion. Our procurement teams are hunting for stocks. The ethical dilemmas are constant—which patients get priority? How do you ethically ration a life-saving drug?" another senior oncologist from Sir Gangaram Hospital told the news outlet.

How are doctors raising their concerns?

Several doctors have raised their concerns on social media, including X.

“Cisplatin and carboplatin are two very essential and widely used drugs in cancer treatment. The shortage will have a direct impact on the treatment of thousands in India," Dr Vandana Mahajan, a cancer care expert and palliative care counsellor, wrote on X.

Similarly, Dr Shyam Aggarwal, a medical oncologist and bone marrow transplant specialist at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, has appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on X to ensure the uninterrupted production of these two drugs.

Other doctors have also come forward, expressing similar views on the shortage of these two chemotherapy drugs for cancer. Representational image/Pixabay

“Cancer patients are struggling to get two critical life-saving, commonly used drugs —Cisplatin and Carboplatin. GOI must ensure the production of these cheap drugs. May good sense prevail in the pharma industry," Aggarwal posted.

Other doctors have also come forward, expressing similar views on the shortage of these two chemotherapy drugs for cancer.

With inputs from agencies