How much does a box of Ponatinib cost?

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Ponatinib as a third-line treatment for adult patients with T315I-positive chronic myelogenous leukemia (including accelerated phase, chronic phase, or blast phase) or T315I-positive Ph+ ALL on December 14, 2012. Ponatinib therapy is offered to patients who are intolerant or resistant to two or more prior TKI therapies, including dasatinib, nilotinib, and/or imatinib.

The FDA approval was based on data from the Phase II PACE trial of ponatinib, which evaluated the efficacy and safety of ponatinib in chronic myeloid leukemia and Ph+ patients who are resistant to or unresponsive to treatment with dasatinib or nilotinib, including those who carry the T315I mutation. Overall, this study demonstrates the continued efficacy and durability of ponatinib in maintaining long-term molecular and cytogenic responses in this heavily preconditioned population over a minimum follow-up period of 48 months.

The original drug of Ponatinib has not yet been launched in China, so it is not included in the medical insurance. Domestic patients in need may only purchase it through overseas channels. The Hong Kong original version of Ponatinib specificationsThe price of 45mg*30 tablets per box may be around 40,000 yuan (the price may fluctuate due to the exchange rate), which is expensive. There are also generic ponatinib drugs produced in other countries, which are relatively cheap. The price of 45mg*30 tablets per box produced by Everest Pharmaceutical Factory in Bangladesh may be around 4,000 yuan (the price may fluctuate due to the exchange rate), and its drug ingredients are basically the same as those of the original drug.