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Background/purpose of the Study: Globally, gynaecological cancer is an important malignancy and chemotherapy is an essential component of the standard treatment modality. The purpose of the study was to determine the cost minimization analysis by comparing the price of the most expensive and least expensive branded drugs used in the treatment of gynaecological cancer in India, considering body surface area relevant to the Indian context., Methods: This was a conventional pharmacoeconomic study designed to determine the lowest possible cost. We compared the prices of the most and least expensive branded drugs from the Current Index of Medical Stores. Also cost of anticancer drugs available in Jan Aushadi stores was also considered for the study. The cost difference, cost ratio and percentage of change in costs were all calculated in accordance with the standard formula. All drugs and the therapeutic regimens (chemo-radiation regimens and chemotherapy) used in the treatment of gynaecological cancer were analysed to understand the cost difference for the treatment regimens., Results: The results indicate that while all anticancer drugs used in the treatment of gynecalogical cancers were available in both costliest and cheapest brand category, bevacizumab and liposomal doxorubicin were unavailable in the Jan Aushadhi stores. The paclitaxel carboplatin regimen had the biggest cost variation between the costliest brand and Jan Aushadhi (Rs. 81,273). The paclitaxel carboplatin bevacizumab regimen had the greatest cost difference (Rs 14,61,646), while weekly cisplatin (Rs 4017) showed less variance. When replacing the most expensive branded pharmaceuticals with cheaper brands or Jan Aushadhi drugs, the cisplatin paclitaxel regimen cost 4.8 to 9.5 times less (Rs 107,655 vs Rs 54,414.4 vs Rs 13,464). For single-agent chemotherapy, substituting the most expensive branded medications with cheaper or Jan Aushadhi products saved money as follows: paclitaxel 37,266 to 55,149; carboplatin Rs 5,556 to Rs 26,124; and liposomal doxorubicin 22,804., Conclusion: The results indicate a huge difference between the costly and the cheapest branded and Jan Aushadhi anticancer drugs and based regimens in treating gynaecological cancer., (© Federation of Obstetric & Gynecological Societies of India 2023. Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.)

Background: Treating widely prevalent bone illnesses such as back and neck pain, osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, gout, and osteoporosis with pharmacological medication can be excessively costly for both the individual and their family. This study aimed to conduct a cost minimization analysis by comparing the prices of Jan Aushadhi (JA) medications with the most expensive and least expensive branded alternatives available in India., Methods: The prices of the most costly, least costly branded, and JA medicines were acquired from the relevant websites. The cost difference, cost ratio, and percentage of cost variation were determined based on the guidelines outlined in the cost minimization analysis research., Results: A total of 67 drugs/combinations used to treat various chronic bone ailments were analyzed. With regard to analgesic/anti-inflammatory drugs, the most expensive brand of diclofenac sodium + serratiopeptidase (50mg + 10mg) tablet was 32.5 times more expensive than the cheapest and 10.5 times more costly than the JA brand. Also, the paracetamol 325mg + tramadol 37.5mg combination of the branded tablets was more expensive than JA. Branded cyclosporine was 2.3 times more expensive than JA among immunosuppressants in the disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARD) group. The most expensive immunomodulator, leflunomide, costs four times more than JA. Hydrocortisone injection, an adjuvant, costs 10.8 times more than the cheapest and 2.1 times more than JA. IL-1 inhibitor + nutraceutical combination costs 4.8 times more than the costliest JA brand. Zoledronic acid was 16.1 and 6.8 times more expensive than the cheapest branded and JA drugs. Xanthine oxidase inhibitor febuxostat, used to treat gout, costs 5.2 and 3.3 times more than JA and the cheapest brands., Conclusion: This cost minimization study, the first to the best of our knowledge in the field of chronic musculoskeletal ailments, indicates the usefulness of JA drugs in reducing the patient's financial costs for most drugs., Competing Interests: Human subjects: All authors have confirmed that this study did not involve human participants or tissue. Animal subjects: All authors have confirmed that this study did not involve animal subjects or tissue. Conflicts of interest: In compliance with the ICMJE uniform disclosure form, all authors declare the following: Payment/services info: All authors have declared that no financial support was received from any organization for the submitted work. Financial relationships: All authors have declared that they have no financial relationships at present or within the previous three years with any organizations that might have an interest in the submitted work. Other relationships: All authors have declared that there are no other relationships or activities that could appear to have influenced the submitted work., (Copyright © 2024, Jayachandran et al.)

Introduction: Chemotherapy in an integral part of cancer treatment, either administered alone or in combination with radiation. However, the cost of these drugs is often prohibitively high for most patients. To address this issue, the Government of India has established Jan Aushadhi (JAS) stores across the country, where affordable generic medicines are available. In the current study, we performed a cost minimization analysis comparing JAS drugs with branded chemotherapeutic drugs used in various cancer treatment regimens., Objectives: This study was to conduct a cost-minimization analysis by comparing the costs of different regimens when using JAS drugs, the most expensive branded drugs, and the least expensive branded drugs in the treatment of cancer in India., Materials and Methods: The study focused on conducting a cost minimization analysis of various chemotherapy drugs used in the treatment of different cancers, considering the availability of anticancer drugs at JAS stores. The costs for different chemotherapy regimens, including both anticancer and supportive drugs, were calculated for single and complete cycles. The costs of the most expensive and least expensive branded drugs were noted from the Current Index of Medical Stores. The cost difference (CD) was calculated by subtracting the cost of the cheaper drug from that of the costliest brand. The cost ratio (CR) and the percentage of cost variation (PCV) were calculated for India-specific conditions., Results: The study analyzed the CD for various regimens using JAS drugs for chemotherapy treatment of breast, esophagus, rectal, colon, stomach, prostate, ovary, endometrial, cervical, head and neck, lung, multiple myeloma, testicular, and lymphoma cancers. It also considered chemoirradiation regimens for brain, head and neck, anorectal, esophageal, and uterine cervical cancers. Significant CDs were observed when both anticancer and supportive drugs were obtained from JAS stores., Conclusion: To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first study to consider the CD, CR, and PCV for various regimens using JAS drugs, as well as the costliest and cheapest branded drugs in standard cancer treatment regimens. The results of this study are expected to assist healthcare professionals and pharmacists in understanding the cost-saving benefits of substituting expensive branded drugs with more affordable chemotherapeutic drugs for the treatment of cancer. This substitution can provide financial benefit for socioeconomically marginalized population., (Copyright © 2024 Copyright: © 2024 Journal of Cancer Research and Therapeutics.)

Purpose: Radiation-induced Nausea and Vomiting (RINV) is an important side effect and conservative estimates are that 50-80% of the patients undergoing curative radiotherapy (RT) will experience some sought of retching, nausea, and/or vomiting during the course of their treatment. Conventionally, antiemetic drugs like the 5-hydroxytryptamine receptor antagonists and steroids are the mainstay of treatment. However, the use of these agents, especially steroids, can cause side effects and thereby negate the proposed benefits. The antiemetic effects of Centella asiatica (Indian pennywort), Hippophae rhamnoides (Sea buckthorn), oil of Mentha spicata (Spearmint) and the rhizomes of Zingiber officinale (ginger) have been addressed., Conclusions: Results indicate that Indian pennywort, Sea buckthorn, Spearmint oil and ginger are beneficial in mitigating RINV. Also, of the four plants investigated in preclinical models of study, mint oil and ginger seem to be more useful and merit structured systematic translational studies to ascertain the benefit of these two agents.

According to recent studies, head and neck cancers (HNC) make up a substantial proportion of all cancers in India and are proportionately high in the lower socioeconomic people practising tobacco and alcohol. Chemotherapy is a crucial component of treating HNC, and this study was carried out to determine the Cost Minimization Analysis (CMA) by comparing the price of the high and least expensive branded drugs marketed in India. This study was performed to understand the cost difference (CD), Cost ratio (CR) and percentage of cost variation (PCV) of both individual drugs and the standard anticancer regimens. The Current Index of Medical Stores was used to determine the costs of the most and least expensive branded medications and analysed. The results indicated that Paclitaxel-Cisplatin-5 Fluoruracil chemotherapy regimen exhibited the greatest variance in cost, with the Jan Aushadhi brand of medicine costing 8.1 times and 4.3 times less than the most expensive and cheapest branded drugs, respectively. The cost of the concurrent cisplatin regimen with Jan Aushadi Medicine was Rs 1764, Rs 3489.64 with the lowest branded drug, and Rs 8477 with the most expensive branded drug. Also when compared to Jan Aushadhi medication, the cost of Ciplatin was 4.8 times higher with the most expensive branded drug and 2 times higher with the least expensive branded drug. As far as the authors are aware of this is the first study that addresses the pharmacoeconomic appraisal of treating HNC with various chemotherapy and chemoirradiation regimens. This study will help oncologists, pharmacists, and healthcare workers comprehend the financial advantages of treating breast cancer with less expensive chemotherapeutic agents instead of brand-name medications., Competing Interests: Disclosure of Potential Conflicts of InterestThe authors declare that they do not have any conflict of interest regarding the study topic. The study was a part of was a part of ---- project in Health Economics., (© Association of Otolaryngologists of India 2023. Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.)