Is Lenalidomide a chemotherapy drug or a targeted drug?

Lenalidomide (Lenalidomide) is a drug that treats a variety of hematologic malignancies and is often classified as a targeted drug rather than a traditional chemotherapy drug. It is an immunomodulatory drug and belongs to a class of drugs called immunomodulators that have specific targets and mechanisms of action.

Lenalidomide was originally developed as an improved derivative of ralrutinib (Thalidomide), which was used to treat morning sickness in the 1920s and 1950s but was later banned because of its side effects of causing malformations in fetal development. However, lenalidomide reduces these serious side effects while targeting the immune system more precisely, making it an effective tool in treating a variety of blood disorders.

Lenalidomide is often used with other drugs such as dexamethasone (Dexamethasone ) to treat multiple myeloma, a malignant blood disease that causes abnormal growth of plasma cells in the bone marrow. Lenalidomide is also used to treat some high-risk MDS patients to improve blood hematopoietic function. Lenalidomide may also be considered for some anemia-related conditions, such as anemia due to abnormalities in bone marrow cells.

Lenalidomide has been launched in China and has been included in medical insurance. Patients can purchase it domestically. The price is around 3,500~4,000 yuan. Due to different medical insurance policies in various places, the price also varies. Please consult your local pharmacy for specific prices. There are also original research drugs in China, but the price is as high as tens of thousands of yuan, so it is not recommended to buy them. The cheaper ones abroad are mainly generic drugs, including those from India, Bangladesh, and Laos, which cost about a few hundred yuan per box. The ingredients of foreign generic drugs and domestic lenalidomide drugs are basically the same.