Is brigatinib/brigatinib expensive in India?

Brigatinib is an anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) inhibitor used to treat patients with ALK-positive non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) that has spread to other parts of the body (metastasis). According to our understanding, India does not produce the original drug or generic version of brigatinib, but there may be original drugs for sale in India and other places. Common generic drugs on the market come from Laos Lucius Pharmaceuticals, ASEAN Pharmaceuticals, Bangladesh Beacon Pharmaceuticals, Bangladesh Yaopin International, etc.

In 2017, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)approved brigatinib for the first-line treatment of ALK-positive metastatic non-small cell lung cancer patients whose disease has progressed or who are intolerant to crizotinib. Approximately 85% of lung cancer patients have non-small cell lung cancer, and 5% of these patients have ALK gene mutations (ALK positive). Doctors may ask patients to have an FDA-approved test to determine whether they have an ALK gene mutation and whether they are ALK+. Brigatinib is manufactured by Takeda Pharmaceuticals and sold overseas as Alunbrig and domestically as Embry.

The price of brigatinib currently available in China and covered by medical insurance may be close to RMB 10,000 per box The price of the drug varies with preparations of different specifications. The ingredients of generic drugs sold overseas are basically the same as those of the original drugs. Take a 90mg 30-piece generic drug produced by a pharmaceutical factory in Bangladesh as an example. The price is about 2,000 yuan per box (the specific price may change due to exchange rate fluctuations), providing patients with a more economical treatment option.