shock! Brigatinib/Brigatinib is included in medical insurance coverage

Brigatinib, also known as Brigatinib, is a treatment for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) that has spread to other parts of the body. As a kinase inhibitor, its main function is to block the activity of abnormal proteins that mistakenly send growth signals to cancer cells, thereby helping to contain or block the spread of cancer cells.

The good news is that as of April 2024, the original drug of brigatinib has been successfully launched in China, and according to the relevant decisions of the National Medical Insurance Bureau, the drug has been included in the reimbursement scope of Class B medical insurance. This means that patients who meet the conditions for treatment with this drug will be able to purchase this drug through medical insurance, significantly reducing the patient's financial burden. However, patients still need to consult their local medical insurance agency for detailed consultation regarding the specific details and limitations of reimbursement.

In China, brigatinib is mainly used to treat patients with locally advanced or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer who are anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) positive. It is worth noting that ALK+NSCLC only accounts for 3-5% of non-small cell lung cancer cases, but mutations in ALK and the overexpression of multiple oncogenic fusion proteins highlight its importance and potential as a key target for anti-cancer therapy.

Cases of ALK-related NSCLC are often associated with the EML4-ALK fusion gene, which causes abnormal signaling that accelerates cell growth, proliferation and survival. Although crizotinib is an option to treat such cases, mutations in the ALK kinase domain may render patients resistant to treatment. Therefore, in this setting, brigatinib becomes an effective treatment option for patients with ALK+ NSCLC who are intolerant to crizotinib.