In a move to make lifesaving medical devices more affordable, the Union Health Ministry has decided to include coronary stents in the National List of Essential Medicines, 2022. The National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) will now fix the price of coronary stents. This directive was issued on the recommendation of an expert committee.

On November 6, the Standing National Committee on Medicines (SNCM) submitted its recommendation for the inclusion of coronary stents in the National List of Essential Medicines (NLEM), 2022. The committee recommended that the stents be included in two categories, i.e., bare metal stents (BMS) and drug-eluting stents (DES). The drug-eluting stents further included metallic DES and bioresorbable vascular scaffolds (VBS) or biodegradable stents.

The committee stated that coronary artery disease (CAD) is a public health issue that is associated with high morbidity and mortality. Hence, after considering all aspects of coronary stents, it was decided that a coronary stent is an essential medical device that has been notified as a "drug" under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940.