When will Larotrectinib be launched in the country?

On June 24, 2022, Larotrectinib oral solution was approved for marketing by the State Food and Drug Administration of China. In 2022year4month, larotrectinib capsules have been approved in China.

Larotrectinib is a targeted therapy used to treat a rare but specific type of cancer, NTRK gene fusion-positive tumors. Larotrectinib is mainly used to treat NTRK gene fusion-positive malignant tumors, including but not limited to infants, children and adult patients. These fusion events involve abnormal fusions of neuronal growth factor receptors (NTRK genes), leading to abnormal cell signaling and tumor growth.

Larotrectinib is an NTRK inhibitor that blocks abnormal cell signaling by specifically inhibiting the activity of NTRK gene fusion protein, thereby reducing the growth and spread of tumors. Larotrectinib has shown significant efficacy in clinical applications, especially in patients with NTRK gene fusion-positive tumors that have been ineffective or intolerable to previous treatments. It can be used for a variety of tumor types, including cystic mature teratomas, testicular primitive neuroendocrine tumors, soft tissue sarcomas, and others.

Larotinib represents a paradigm for personalized cancer treatment. Its effectiveness depends on whether the patient has theNTRK gene fusion, so genetic testing is often required before starting treatment to determine whether the patient is suitable for this treatment.

Larotrectinib is generally well tolerated, but may cause some side effects, including fatigue, headache, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and weight gain. Patients should receive treatment under the supervision of a physician and report any symptoms of discomfort.

Larotrectinib has been launched in China, but it 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 China. Please consult the local hospital pharmacy for details. There are original drugs and generic drugs of larotrectinib abroad. The original drugs include German version, American version, European version and Hong Kong version. The price is basically around 20,000 yuan. Generic drugs include Lao and Bangladeshi versions, with prices ranging from two to three thousand. The ingredients of original drugs and generic drugs are basically the same.