Is melphalan/melphalan injection expensive at 8,000 per injection?

Melphalan for injection/Melphalan flufenamide) injection in combination with dexamethasone for the treatment of patients with multiple myeloma (MM; bone marrow cancer) who have had a recurrence of their cancer and who have received at least 4 previously ineffective treatments (for example, CD38-directed monoclonal antibodies, proteasome inhibitors, and immunomodulators). Melphalan flufenamide belongs to a group of drugs called alkylating agents (cancer drugs), which work by interfering with the growth of cancer cells, which are eventually destroyed by the body.

Melphalan for injection can only be taken by a doctor or under his supervision. As an anti-tumor drug, its price is often affected by a variety of factors, including research and development costs, production processes, market demand, medical insurance policies, etc. Since the original drug of melphalan for injection has not yet been launched in China and is not covered by medical insurance, domestic patients are currently unable to purchase this drug from hospitals and other channels. For the European version of the original drug Melphalan for injection sold overseas, the price of each box (containing 50mg*1 tube) may be as high as more than 1,000 yuan, which will also be affected by exchange rate fluctuations. In addition, it is worth noting that there are no generic versions of this drug available in overseas markets.

If injectable melphalan can significantly improve patients' survival rate or quality of life, then its high price will be acceptable to a certain extent. For many cancer patients, extension of life and improvement in quality of life are of irreplaceable value, so they and their families may be willing to pay higher costs for it. In addition, treatment options for different types of cancer often need to be combined with other drugs, which may also lead to an increase in overall treatment costs.