Will trastuzumab be included in medical insurance in 2024?

Fam-trastuzumab deruxtecan-nxki, as an innovative antibody-conjugated drug, has demonstrated significant therapeutic effects in the field of breast cancer treatment. The original drug of Trastuzumab has been launched in China, but as of March 2024, it has not been included in the medical insurance. As to whether it can be included in the medical insurance catalog in 2024, this involves many factors, including the therapeutic effect of the drug, cost, market demand and the formulation of medical insurance policies.

Judging from the drug’s therapeutic effect and market demand, trastuzumab is undoubtedly a drug that has attracted much attention. Breast cancer cells that overexpress the HER2 gene are called HER2-positive. The fam-trastuzumab part of trastuzumab attaches to the HER2 protein, preventing it from receiving growth signals; the topoisomerase I inhibitor chemotherapy part, like other chemotherapy drugs, interferes with the cell's ability to replicate. Its unique therapeutic mechanism gives it significant advantages in the treatment of HER2-positive or low-expression breast cancer, which can significantly extend the patient's survival and reduce the risk of disease progression. As the number of breast cancer patients continues to increase, the demand for this drug continues to rise. Trastuzumab is also currently used in the treatment of gastric cancer and non-small cell lung cancer.

The formulation of medical insurance policies aims to protect the drug rights and interests of patients and reduce their financial burden. Therefore, the medical insurance department will comprehensively consider the efficacy, safety, cost and other factors of the drug to decide whether to include a certain drug in the medical insurance catalog. For innovative drugs like trastuzumab, if their efficacy is accurate, their safety is good, and their costs gradually decrease, then the possibility of it entering the medical insurance catalog will increase.