Has the new anti-cancer drug lorlatinib been included in medical insurance?

Lorlatinib is a new generation tyrosine kinase inhibitor designed to treat ALK (tyrosine kinase) or ROS1 (ROS proto-oncogene) in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) 1) Designed for patients with genetic mutations. As an important first-line treatment option, lorlatinib has shown excellent results in inhibiting tumor growth and spread.

Lorlatinib has been launched in China and is included in medical insurance. Patients can purchase it domestically, but the price is relatively high, about 10,000 to 20,000 yuan. For specific medical insurance reimbursement prices, please consult the local hospital pharmacy. There are original lorlatinib drugs and cheaper generic drugs abroad. The cheaper ones are the original drug from Turkey, which costs more than 1,000 yuan, and the original drug from Hong Kong, China, which costs about 30,000 yuan. Generic drugs are mainly generic drugs from Laos and Bangladesh. The price is about several thousand yuan, and the ingredients of the original drugs and generic drugs are basically the same.

One of the characteristics of lorlatinib is its high selectivity, which can effectively inhibit the abnormal activation of ALK and ROS1 genes. The unique feature of this drug is that it can cross the blood-brain barrier, so it has shown significant results in the treatment of NSCLC patients with brain metastases, providing a new treatment option for those patients facing brain metastases.

Clinical trials, especially theCROWN study, have confirmed the significant advantages of lorlatinib in first-line treatment. Patients treated with lorlatinib showed longer progression-free survival compared with standard treatment, marking its important role in the first-line treatment of ALK-positive NSCLC. In addition, lorlatinib is also being studied to treat patients who are resistant to other ALK inhibitors, bringing new hope to patients who have failed previous treatments.

However, like other drugs, lorlatinib may also cause a series of side effects, including visual disturbances, abnormal liver function, gastrointestinal discomfort, etc. Therefore, before using lorlatinib, doctors usually evaluate the patient's overall health and adjust the treatment plan based on the patient's response.