The Supreme Court on Monday flagged tenfold mark-ups on cancer drugs, calling the pricing disparity in the pharmaceutical supply chain “carnage.”

A bench questioned why essential medicines that cost a few hundred rupees to manufacture reach patients at prices many times higher. The court sought details of the margins earned at each stage of the supply chain.

The judges weighed the idea of a uniform 16 per cent margin across the chain to protect patients from exploitative pricing. The court asked the government and industry to respond with data on actual pricing.

Patient groups have long complained that life-saving drugs remain unaffordable despite price controls on scheduled formulations. The court’s remarks could pave the way for broader regulation of drug pricing in India.

The bench observed that while innovation deserves reward, essential medicines cannot be priced out of patients’ reach. It asked why generic versions of the same drugs are sold far cheaper in other countries.