Is larotrectinib included in medical insurance? What's the latest price?

Larotrectinib is an innovative anti-cancer drug that belongs to the category of targeted therapy drugs. Its unique feature is that it has demonstrated excellent efficacy through precise treatment of cancers with NTRK gene fusions. NTRKGene fusion is a rare and special genetic abnormality that is found in a variety of cancers, including soft tissue sarcoma, infantile fibroma, lung cancer, etc.

Larotrectinib has been launched in China and has not yet been included in medical insurance. Since it has not been launched in China for a long time, it may be difficult to purchase it in hospitals. For specific conditions, it is recommended to consult the local hospital pharmacy.

In foreign markets, larotrectinib has two options: original drug and generic drug. Original drugs include the German version, the American version, the European version and the Hong Kong version, and the price is about 10,000 to 20,000 yuan. In comparison, generic drugs are much cheaper. There are Lao and Bangladeshi versions of generic drugs, and the price is around two to three thousand. It is worth noting that the ingredients of original drugs and generic drugs are basically the same.

This drug works by inhibitingNTRKkinase, a protein that is normally involved in cell growth and differentiation. However, in the case of NTRK gene fusion, the kinase activity loses normal regulation, leading to abnormal cell proliferation and survival signaling, thereby promoting tumor development. The targeting effect of larotrectinib can effectively block this abnormal signaling pathway, thereby inhibiting tumor growth.

Clinical trial results show that for patients carryingNTRK gene fusion, larotrectinib has shown significant efficacy, including tumor shrinkage, stopping progression, and even complete disappearance. This provides a new, personalized treatment option for patients who have failed traditional treatments.