With seven Indian manufacturers vying to create generic versions of Merck & Co's Keytruda, a widely used cancer immunotherapy, a more affordable alternative may be available by June 2028, when the drug's patent expires. Each 200mg dose of Keytruda currently costs over ₹3 lakh (approximately $3,600 USD), making it prohibitively expensive for many patients. Experts, including Dr. Tarun Durga from Medanta-Noida, emphasize that the introduction of biosimilars can lead to price reductions of up to 70%, enhancing access to vital cancer treatments. The Indian government's recent announcement of the Bio Pharma SHAKTI scheme, a ₹10,000 crore initiative aimed at fostering a domestic biosimilar ecosystem, is seen as a crucial step in this direction. However, the current regulatory landscape requires extensive clinical trials for biosimilars, which can be time-consuming and costly, hindering rapid market entry. Activists like K M Gopakumar argue for regulatory reforms to streamline the approval process and promote the development of biosimilars, ensuring that essential medicines are accessible to all.