Medical insurance price of tucatinib

Tucatinib (tucatinib) is an oral molecularly targeted drug used to treat HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer. It belongs to a class of drugs called tyrosine kinase inhibitors. HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer is a specific subtype of breast cancer in which tumor cells overexpress a protein called HER2 (human epidermal growth factor receptor 2). This overexpression leads to abnormal proliferation and spread of tumor cells and resistance to traditional chemotherapy drugs.

Tucatinib works by selectively inhibiting the activity of the HER2 receptor. It can interfere with the HER2 signaling pathway and reduce the proliferation and spread of tumor cells. Tucatinib is often combined with other drugs such as trastuzumab and capecitabine to increase the effectiveness of the treatment. Tucatinib has shown significant efficacy in clinical trials, being able to prolong progression-free survival (PFS) and control brain metastases in patients with HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer. However, it may also cause side effects such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, fatigue, and rash. Therefore, before using tucatinib, doctors will carefully evaluate the patient's condition and monitor treatment response and adverse effects.

It is understood that the original drug Tucatinib has not yet been launched in China, so it has not entered the scope of domestic medical insurance. Patients in need cannot yet purchase this drug in pharmacies or hospitals. The price of the European version of tucatinib original drug sold overseas is around RMB 72,000 (the price may fluctuate due to exchange rates), which is expensive. There are also generic drugs of tucatinib produced in other countries. The price of Tucatinib produced by a Lao pharmaceutical factory is around 6,400 yuan (the price may fluctuate due to the exchange rate). The price is much cheaper than the original drug, and the ingredients of foreign generic drugs are basically the same as the original drug.