The waiver of the basic customs duty on 17 imported cancer medications will help patients who are forced to discontinue their treatment due to financial limitations, said doctors. According to doctors, most of these cancer drugs are manufactured by large multinational pharmaceutical companies based in the US and Europe and include targeted therapies, immunotherapies and cell-based or gene-based treatments. Cancer treatment means a long-term recurring expense. If the customs duty on the drug is exempted, then it will help us a lot,” said the husband of the patient. “The reduction in customs duty on select cancer drugs and treatments for rare diseases is a welcome step,” he said.

Source: The Telegraph February 02, 2026 00:18 UTC