Is Ramucirumab on the market?

On April 21, 2014, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved ramucirumab as a single-agent treatment for patients with advanced gastric cancer or gastroesophageal junction (GEJ) adenocarcinoma who have previously received fluoropyrimidine- or platinum-containing chemotherapy. The approval is based on the results of the REGARD trial, a Phase III, international, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study designed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of ramucirumab in combination with best supportive care versus placebo.

Ramuscumab has also been studied in combination with paclitaxel, a chemotherapy drug, and received additional FDA approval in November 2014 for the treatment of patients with advanced gastric cancer or GEJ adenocarcinoma who had previously received fluoropyrimidine or platinum-based chemotherapy. Approved in December 2014ramucirumabin combination with docetaxel for the treatment of metastatic non-small cell lung cancer(NSCLC) with disease progression during or after first-line platinum-containing chemotherapy. In April 2015, ramucirumab was approved for the treatment of patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) whose disease has progressed during or after treatment with bevacizumab, oxaliplatin, and fluoropyrimidine. In May 2019, ramucirumab was introduced as monotherapy for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in patients with alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) greater than 400 ng/mL and previously treated with sorafenib.

Ramosizumab is usually an injection preparation. The original drug has been on the market in China, but it has been on the market for a short time and has not been included in the medical insurance. The price of 100mg/10mL per box may be around RMB 5,000, and the price of 500mg/50mL per box may be around RMB 17,000. The price of the original Hong Kong version of 100mg/10mL may be around RMB 8,400 per box, and the price of 500mg/50mL per box may be around RMB 28,000 (the price may fluctuate due to exchange rates), and their pharmaceutical ingredients are basically the same. Currently, there are no generic drugs produced and marketed overseas. For specific prices and drug information, please consult Yaode’s medical consultant.