Lorlatinib/Lorlatinib: New Trends in Market Prices

Lorlatinib/lorlatinib (Lorlatinib), as an innovative oral small molecule drug, is an effective inhibitor of ATP competitive receptor tyrosine kinase, anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) and C-rosc oncogene 1 (ROS 1). It is uniquely designed to penetrate the central nervous system and address known secondary resistance mutations in the ALK tyrosine kinase domain. Thanks to the positive results of the CROWN phase trial, lorlatinib, as a third-generation macrocyclic ALK inhibitor, has successfully become an important alternative drug after the failure of first-line TKI treatment for ALK-rearranged non-small cell lung cancer. Since 2021, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved it for first-line treatment, and has been successively approved by the United States, Europe, Japan, and China.

Recently, the original drug lorlatinib has officially entered the domestic market and been included in the medical insurance system, bringing real economic benefits to patients. Common packaging specifications on the market include 90 tablets of 25mg and 30 tablets of 100mg. However, the cost of launching new drugs and their research and development results in relatively high prices, with each box selling for between RMB 10,000 and RMB 20,000. If you choose to purchase the Hong Kong original version, the price per box may fluctuate within the range of RMB 30,000 to RMB 50,000 due to external factors such as exchange rates.

However, for patients seeking more affordable options, overseas markets offer more affordable generic options. The ingredients of these generic drugs are basically the same as those of the original drugs. Take lorlatinib produced by a well-known pharmaceutical factory in Laos as an example. Its specification is 100mg*30 tablets, and the price per box is only about 3,000 yuan. Although the price will also fluctuate due to factors such as exchange rates, its price advantage is still very obvious compared to the original drug.