Is Temsirolimus covered by medical insurance?

Temsirolimus (Temsirolimus) is a cell proliferation inhibitor and anticancer agent used to treat advanced renal cell carcinoma. Temsirolimus treatment is frequently associated with mild serum enzyme elevations but has not been associated with clinically apparent icteric liver injury. Temsirolimus is available as an injectable liquid solution in 25 mg/mL vials under the brand name Torisel.

Temsirolimus is an ester of sirolimus, two drugs that bind to the same intracellular receptors as tacrolimus and cyclosporine, but they block the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) rather than calcineurin. mTOR is a serine/threonine kinase that plays an important role in the signaling pathways of several cytokines and growth factors involved in carcinogenesis and cancer progression. Inhibition of mTOR results in reduced protein synthesis and cell cycle arrest. Temsirolimus treatment has been shown to inhibit progression and prolong survival in patients with advanced and metastatic renal cell carcinoma.

The original drug temsirolimus has not yet been marketed in China, and therefore cannot be included in domestic medical insurance. The original temsirolimus drug marketed overseas has a Turkish version and a European version. The ingredients of the two are basically the same. The price of each box of 30mg/1.2mL may be more than 10,000 yuan, and the price of 25mg/mL may be around 3,000 yuan per box (the price may fluctuate due to exchange rates). There is currently no generic version of temsirolimus available on the market. For more drug information and specific prices, please consult a medical consultant.