Does Pomalidomide need to be taken long-term?

Pomalidomide is a targeted cancer drug that works in a variety of ways to stop the development of myeloma cells; prevent the growth of blood vessels, helping cancer cells grow and survive (an anti-angiogenic drug); and prompt the immune system to kill myeloma cells. Pomalidomide can be combined with dexamethasone, a steroid that helps pomalidomide work better and kill myeloma cells.

A cycle of pomalidomide and dexamethasone lasts28 days (4 weeks), and you can continue to receive it as long as the treatment is effective and the side effects are not too severe. After a single oral dose of pomalidomide , the maximum plasma concentration (Cmax) in Multiple Myeloma (MM) or Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) Patients developed symptoms 2-3 hours after administration. The median treatment duration was 3.6 months. The overall tolerance was good. Toxicity primarily included myelosuppression and infection, with grade 3/4 neutropenia (24%) improving after dose delay/reduction of pomalidomide.

Pomalidomide, independently developed in China, has been launched domestically and has now entered the scope of medical insurance. The price of domestically produced Pomalidomide may be around RMB 4,000 per box, while the Turkish version sold overseas may be priced around RMB 15,000 per box (the price may fluctuate due to exchange rates), which is relatively expensive. There are also cheaper generic drugs produced in other countries overseas. The price of each box produced by a Lao pharmaceutical factory may be around a few hundred yuan (the price may fluctuate due to the exchange rate). The ingredients of foreign generic drugs, domestically produced drugs and foreign original drugs are basically the same. For more drug information and specific prices, please consult Yaode Medical Consultant.