Bosutinib efficacy and price

Research shows that Bosutinib (Bosutinib) can effectively reduce the proportion of white blood cells with Philadelphia chromosome. Bosutinib was studied in a major study involving 570 patients with "Philadelphia chromosome-positive" (Ph+) chronic myelogenous leukemia who had previously been treated with at least one tyrosine kinase inhibitor. Bosutinib was not compared with other treatments. Among these patients, 36 were in the chronic phase and 16 were in the accelerated phase or blast phase.

The primary measure of effectiveness was the number of patients who had at least a "major cytogenetic response" (less than 35% of white blood cells with the Philadelphia chromosome) after six months of bosutinib treatment. Effectiveness is also measured in other ways, including "hematological response" (the number of white blood cells in the blood returns to normal). Bosutinib treatment was effective in patients with high unmet medical needs: 18 of 36 patients with chronic-phase CML had a "major cytogenetic response," while 7 of 16 patients with late-stage (accelerated or blast phase) CML also had adequate responses based on other measures.

Extended results from this study confirm that the drug's efficacy is maintained long-term. During the study, patients who benefited from bosutinib were followed for at least 10 years. Another study involved 163 patients with chronic or advanced Ph+ CML who had previously failed to respond to at least one tyrosine kinase inhibitor or who were unable to take these drugs. The study showed that among 156 patients with chronic Ph+ CML who had received at least one TKI, 72% had a major cytogenetic response. Among seven patients with advanced CML, 75% had a hematological response after one year of treatment.

The third study compared 536 patients with newly diagnosed chronic myelogenous leukemia. The main measure of effectiveness is the number of patients who develop a "major molecular response" (a significant reduction in the amount of BCR-ABL (a protein produced by the Philadelphia chromosome) in the bone marrow). After one year of treatment, 47% (116 of 246) of patients treated with bosutinib had a major molecular response, compared with 37% (89 of 241) of patients treated with imatinib.

The originator drug of bosutinib is not marketed in the country, so it cannot be included in medical insurance. Currently, the original drugs sold overseas include Turkish version and European version. The price of the Turkish version may be more than RMB 2,000 per box of 500mg*28, and the price of the European version may be more than RMB 30,000 (the price may fluctuate due to the exchange rate). There are also bosutinib generic drugs produced overseas in other countries. The ingredients and specifications are basically the same as those of the original drug.The price of each box of 500mg*30 may be more than 2,000 RMB (the price may fluctuate due to the exchange rate), which is relatively cheap.