Health Ministry Cuts Prices of 151 Drugs by 18.4% on Average in First Batch
The Health Ministry has published the first batch of the price review for 151 drugs, with an average cut of 18.4% under the new drug pricing decree, and reductions of up to 58.7% on cancer and immunity treatments.
The Ministry of Health and Social Protection has published the first batch of the new list reviewing drug prices in Morocco, covering 151 presentations (by dose and packaging) spread across about 50 brands and nearly 20 active substances, with an average cut of 18.4% and a median of 15%. The review applies Decree No. 2.25.631 of 23 July 2026, published in the Official Gazette on 6 August, which amends the 2013 decree governing the setting of public drug prices.
The new decree aligns the price of drugs whose ex-factory price exceeds 300 dirhams (excluding taxes) with the lowest internationally recognised reference price, instead of the average used previously, cuts the profit margin on imported drugs from 10% to 2.5%, and shortens the price review cycle from 5 years to 3. Health and Social Protection Minister Amine Tahraoui said the aim of the reform is to achieve savings of at least one billion dirhams a year for the compulsory health insurance fund (AMO).
"Rosuvastatin", the cholesterol-lowering drug, stands out as the only locally manufactured active substance on this list: its Moroccan-made generics account for 65 of the 151 presentations, spread across 13 Moroccan brands, and with 6 imported presentations including the original drug "Crestor", the total rosuvastatin presentations reach 71, or 47% of the entire list, while the other 80 presentations are entirely imported. The "Rosuva Promopharm" brand, belonging to Jordan's Hikma group, which is listed on the Casablanca Stock Exchange, tops the Moroccan brands with 12 presentations.
Cancer drugs see the biggest cuts in dirham terms: the price of "Sutent" (50 mg) falls 48.1%, the largest absolute drop on the list, while "Ibrance" falls 29%. Immunity and rheumatism drugs also fall markedly, with "Humira" (40 mg) down 58.7% and "Enbrel" (25 mg) down 44.7%, bringing prices closer to those in France after years of gaps that sometimes reached three times, according to a 2020 study by the CNOPS. The reform comes weeks after the National Institute of Oncology announced a genetic test for ovarian cancer at 300 dirhams.
| Drug | Old price | New price | Cut |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sutent (50 mg) | 38,480 | 19,976 | -48.1% |
| Ibrance | 24,024 | 17,066 | -29% |
| Humira (40 mg) | 10,918 | 4,513 | -58.7% |
| Enbrel (25 mg) | 4,855 | 2,686 | -44.7% |
| Crestor (rosuvastatin 10 mg) | 167 | 99.5 | -40.4% |
By contrast, cuts on the fifteen imported biosimilar drugs remain limited, averaging just 10.5% against 22.5% for original drugs, while hospital drug prices fall by 19.2%. The ministry has not yet revealed the rest of the full list, while the decree requires drugs actually sold on the market to have their prices reviewed within 12 months.