NEW DELHI (Diya TV) — Cancer patients across India are struggling to find critical chemotherapy medicines as a growing shortage of platinum-based cancer drugs disrupts treatment and raises concerns among doctors and health experts.
The shortage has affected medicines such as cisplatin and carboplatin, which doctors widely use to treat cancers of the lung, ovaries, liver, and gall bladder. Hospitals, pharmacies, and distributors report increasing difficulties in securing supplies, leaving many patients searching across cities and states for life-saving treatment.
Kumar Ajit, a 52-year-old bank employee from Bihar, spent more than a week contacting pharmacies before locating cisplatin for his 70-year-old mother, who is receiving treatment for liver cancer. Ajit eventually found the medicine in New Delhi and arranged for it to be shipped to his village in eastern India. Even then, he could not obtain the full dosage prescribed by doctors. His experience reflects a growing problem facing cancer patients nationwide. Many families now spend days searching for medicines that were once readily available.
“I’m unsure what I will do for the next dose,” Ajit said.
Drug distributors and medical professionals say the shortage has worsened in recent weeks. Rajiv Singhal, general secretary of the All India Organisation of Chemists and Druggists, said distributors across the country have reported difficulties obtaining platinum-based chemotherapy drugs.
According to Singhal, the supply crunch began about two months ago and has worsened over the past two weeks. Pharmacists are also seeing a sharp rise in requests from patients seeking help. Pavan Kumar, a distributor based in Hyderabad, said he receives about 10 calls daily from patients looking for cisplatin. Doctors estimate that at least one-quarter of chemotherapy patients in India use platinum-based medicines as part of their treatment plans.
Cancer specialists warn that the shortage could affect treatment outcomes if supplies do not improve soon. Mintu Mathew Abraham, a consultant oncologist in Kerala, said platinum-based medicines remain a cornerstone of cancer care.
“These drugs have been a backbone for cancer treatment,” Abraham said.
Doctors say alternative treatments exist in some cases, but substitutes may be less effective or cause more side effects. Venkateshwar Rao, an oncologist in Andhra Pradesh, said there are limited alternatives to platinum-based chemotherapy drugs. The shortage has increased concerns among healthcare providers who rely on these medicines to treat thousands of patients every day.
Industry executives say rising platinum prices have played a major role in the shortage. India depends heavily on imported platinum, with significant supplies coming from countries such as South Africa. Supply disruptions and strong global demand have pushed prices sharply higher. Market analysts have reported growing concerns about platinum shortages worldwide due to constrained mining output, strong investment demand, and declining inventories.
Mohan Jain, director of Naprod Life Sciences, said the price of platinum has risen dramatically over the past year. According to Jain, the cost of one gram of platinum has climbed to about 5,000 rupees from roughly 2,000 rupees a year ago. The increase has made production more expensive for pharmaceutical companies that manufacture chemotherapy medicines.
Many manufacturers say government price controls have made it difficult to absorb rising costs. India regulates the prices of several essential medicines, including platinum-based cancer drugs. Drugmakers say current price caps no longer reflect the sharp increase in raw material costs. Manufacturers have requested an increase of about 50% in the regulated prices.
Some companies have already reduced production. Naprod Life Sciences temporarily halted the manufacture of cisplatin and carboplatin because of challenges in sourcing platinum-based materials. Venus Remedies, which supplies medicines to government hospitals, said it has absorbed losses but remains cautious about accepting new contracts. Industry leaders warn that continued cost pressures could prolong shortages and create additional challenges for patients seeking treatment.
Healthcare experts say restoring stable supplies of platinum-based chemotherapy drugs should remain a priority. With cancer cases rising across India, patients and doctors depend on reliable access to essential medicines. Until supplies improve, many families may continue facing uncertainty while searching for critical cancer treatments. The ongoing shortage highlights the growing pressure on India’s healthcare system as rising global commodity prices affect access to life-saving drugs.
