Trametinib: a new anticancer drug that inhibits melanoma

Melanoma accounts for only 1% of all skin cancers but accounts for the majority of skin cancer deaths. Since 2011, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved several targeted therapies and immunotherapies, including treatments targeting the MAP kinase pathway, anti-PD-1 antibodies, anti-CTLA-4 antibodies, and oncolytic virus therapies. Although immunotherapy is now the mainstay of treatment for metastatic melanoma, targeted therapies still have an important role.

Approximately50% of melanomas harbor activating mutations in the serine/threonine protein kinase B-Raf (BRAF), which is a component of the MAP kinase signaling pathway and provides an actionable therapeutic target. The MEK inhibitor trametinib was initially approved as a single agent and then as a combination therapy with dabrafenib. Targeted therapy with trametinib is a rapid and effective treatment option with tolerable side effects with appropriate monitoring and management.

The original drug of Trametinib has been launched in China and is included in the scope of medical insurance. Only patients who meet the indications can choose to reimburse. The price of 2 mg*30 tablets is more than RMB 10,000. The original drug of Trametinib sold overseas is priced at more than RMB 7,000 (the price may fluctuate due to the exchange rate). There are also generic trametinib drugs produced in other countries overseas, and their pharmaceutical ingredients are basically the same as those of the original drugs sold domestically and abroad. For example, the price of 2mg*30 tablets produced by a Laos pharmaceutical factory is more than 2,000 yuan (the price may fluctuate due to the exchange rate), and the price is relatively cheap.