When will Tepotinib be included in medical insurance?

Tepotinib is the first and only MET inhibitor approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and is administered orally once daily as two 225 mg tablets (450 mg). Based onthe existence of MET exon 14 skipping changes, patients with metastatic non-small cell lung cancer should be selected for tepotinib treatment. METex14 skipping occurs in approximately 3% to 4% of non-small cell lung cancer cases, and patients with this aggressive form of lung cancer are typically elderly and face poor clinical prognosis.

In patients receivinga clinical dose of 500 mg once daily, a tepotinib concentration of 0.1 μmol/L is equivalent to approximately 200% of the free steady-state maximum concentration of tepotinib of 52 nmol/L. Tepotinib provides an important and welcome new treatment option for patients with metastatic NSCLC harboring mutations in these genes. If a patient vomits after taking tepotinib, do not take additional doses. Continue regular dosing schedule. Depending on whether the patient experiences any side effects, the doctor may reduce the dose or stop treatment temporarily or permanently.

The original drug Tepotinib has been launched in China. Due to its short time on the market, it is not yet eligible for medical insurance. The specific time is still unclear. Tepotinib Original drug currently marketed overseas is relatively expensive, and the price of each box of 225mg*30 tablets may be around RMB 80,000 (the price may fluctuate due to exchange rates). There are already generic Tepotinib drugs produced in other countries. The ingredients of these generic drugs are basically the same as those of the original drug, but the price is relatively cheap. For example, the price of 225mg*60 tablets produced by a Laos pharmaceutical factory may be more than 8,000 yuan per box (the price may fluctuate due to exchange rates).