Is Erlotinib a targeted drug?

Erlotinib (Erlotinib) is a targeted therapy drug. It belongs to a class of enzymes called tyrosine kinase inhibitors (tyrosine kinase inhibitors, TKIs) ” drugs designed to treat specific types of cancer, such as non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Erlotinib's mechanism of action involves inhibiting a protein called epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR). EGFR is overexpressed in some cancer cells and promotes the growth, division and spread of tumor cells. Erlotinib can slow down or prevent the growth and spread of tumor cells by inhibiting the activity of EGFR.

Because the effect of erlotinib is specific and targets EGFR in cancer cells, it usually has lower toxic side effects than traditional chemotherapy drugs, so it is called "targeted drug " . The drug has shown promising results in some patients with non-small cell lung cancer who are positive for EGFR mutations.

However, as I mentioned before, while targeted drugs generally perform better at reducing some common chemotherapy side effects, they can still cause some specific side effects that require patients and doctors to work closely together to manage and mitigate these during treatment.

Erlotinib has been launched in China and has been included in medical insurance. Patients can purchase it domestically. The domestic price ranges from about 700 to 1000. The specification is 150mg*7tablets. Due to different medical insurance policies in different places, the price is also different. For details, please consult the local pharmacy or medical insurance bureau. Erlotinib abroad is mainly an Indian generic drug, with a price of about 900 yuan. The specifications are divided into 100mg*30 tablets and 150mg*30 tablets, which are about four times the domestic specifications, but the price is similar to that in China.