Goa Expands AI Cancer Screening, Launches Lifesaving Drug Pricing Policy
The programme is a collaboration between the state government, Qure.ai, and AstraZeneca, being hailed as a model for systemic change.
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Jon Krause
The Government of Goa on Wednesday rolled out the Pricing Policy for Innovative Lifesaving Therapies (PPILT), the first framework of its kind in India. The programme is a collaboration between the state government, Qure.ai, and AstraZeneca, being hailed as a model for systemic change.
Under PPILT, the state will enter into confidential, outcome-linked pricing agreements with pharmaceutical innovators, enabling Goa to procure advanced therapies at significantly reduced costs.
The policy covers medical devices, diagnostics, medicines, and more, with a strong focus on rare and complex diseases. The announcement was made at a Continuing Medical Education (CME) event on AI’s role in diagnosing lung cancer early, held in Goa.
The initiative will be launched with lung cancer treatment, aiming to stretch the public healthcare budget to help far more patients.
Goa Health Minister Vishwajit Rane said, “Innovative therapies for diseases like cancer, rare genetic disorders, and autoimmune conditions can cost upwards of Rs 50 lakh per year, making them difficult for patients, especially from underserved communities. Goa’s adoption of this pricing policy is vital and a timely step to advance health equity in the state. A value-based approach to pricing will improve access for patients and mark a new era focusing on helping more and more patients.”
This bold pricing reform builds on Goa’s ongoing healthcare transformation. Since 2024, AI has been integrated into the state’s public healthcare system across 18 government hospitals and health centres.
Through Qure.ai’s qXR AI solution, over 70,000 chest X-rays have been screened, detecting 6,000+ pulmonary nodules and flagging more than 500 high-risk cases for lung cancer. Early detection has already led to confirmed diagnoses and timely treatment, saving lives and reducing long-term healthcare costs.
Prashant Warier, CEO and Founder of Qure.ai, said, “The integration of AI into Goa’s public health network shows that digital transformation can start with AI as the foundation, rather than waiting for complete infrastructure. By screening over 70,000 chest X-rays in government facilities, we have proven that advanced technology can work effectively in public health systems and deliver measurable outcomes.”
He added that Goa’s new pricing policy addresses the next critical step by ensuring that, once diseases are detected early, patients can access advanced therapies without prohibitive costs.
This three-way partnership has created a first-of-its-kind model in which pharma innovation, coupled with technology, has made an end-to-end lung cancer patient screening and monitoring pathway possible. It has the potential to serve as a blueprint for health systems around the world.
