Medication Guidance: Can Bosutinib be used in children?

According to the latest relevant information about Bosutinib (Bosutinib) released by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), this is an oral anti-leukemia drug suitable for adults and children aged 1 year and above suffering from Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) . This decision marks a new breakthrough for bosutinib in the treatment of chronic myelogenous leukemia in children. Therefore, bosutinib can be used to treat pediatric CML patients, but it needs to be done under the guidance of a doctor and follow the appropriate dosage and course of treatment.

TKIs are part of the treatment for patients with CML. Examples include imatinib, nilotinib, and dasatinib. For some children, current TKIs are no longer suitable because the disease no longer responds or responds inadequately to treatment, or because they cause too many side effects. So the search for new drugs is on. Bosutinib is also a TKI, but has somewhat different side effects than the above drugs. For example, it causes more digestive disorders, such as diarrhea, but less musculoskeletal disorders. In addition, animal experiments suggest that bosutinib may slow growth to a lesser extent than other TKIs.

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. Their pharmaceutical ingredients are basically the same as those of the original drug. The price of 500mg*30 per box may be more than 2,000 yuan (the price may fluctuate due to the exchange rate), and the price is relatively cheap.