Why don’t hospitals sell pemetinib/pemetinib?

Pemigatinib/Pemigatinib is a targeted therapy drug used to treat advanced cholangiocarcinoma (cholangiocarcinoma) with FGFR (fibroblast growth factor receptor) gene mutations. Cholangiocarcinoma is a rare but serious type of cancer that occurs in the biliary system, including the bile ducts and gallbladder. At the same time, pemetinibcan also be used to treat myeloid/lymphoid tumors associated with FGFR1 rearrangement. As treatment options for cholangiocarcinoma are relatively scarce, the emergence of pemetinib provides a new treatment option for these patients.

The mechanism of action of pemetinib is to exert its therapeutic effect by inhibiting the activity of fibroblast growth factor receptor (FGFR). FGFR is an important receptor tyrosine kinase involved in many cell growth and proliferation processes. In some types of tumors, such as cholangiocarcinoma, the activity of FGFR is excessively enhanced, leading to abnormal proliferation and spread of tumor cells. Pemetinib selectively binds to FGFR and inhibits its activity, thereby preventing the growth and spread of tumor cells.

Although pemetinib has shown significant therapeutic effects on patients with cholangiocarcinoma in clinical trials and has been approved for marketing by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the National Medical Products Administration, etc., there may be many reasons why hospitals do not sell pemetinib. First of all, pemetinib is a new type of targeted drug, and its production cost may be high, resulting in expensive drug prices that not all hospitals can afford. Secondly, different hospitals may have different drug procurement policies and channels, and some hospitals may not include pemetinib in their procurement catalogs. In addition, because pemetinib is suitable for a relatively small number of people, some hospitals may choose not to purchase this drug due to economic considerations.