Will cabozantinib be included in medical insurance?

Cabozantinib is a multi-target tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) that is widely used internationally for the treatment of solid tumors such as advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC), hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC). This drug blocks the angiogenesis and proliferation of tumor cells by inhibiting various signaling pathways such as VEGFR, MET, and AXL, thereby delaying tumor progression and improving patients' quality of life. Unlike single-target drugs, cabozantinib's multi-targeting characteristics give it unique advantages in combating tumor drug resistance.

Currently, the original drug of cabozantinib has not been officially launched in mainland China, so it has not been included in the national medical insurance directory. This means that domestic patients within the hospital system are temporarily unable to reimburse the cost of the drug through medical insurance channels. For patients who need to use the drug, it can only be purchased through Hong Kong pharmacies, cross-border pharmaceutical service agencies or imported through formal channels. According to data, cabozantinib has been approved in the United States and Europe for the treatment of multiple cancer types, including advanced renal cell carcinoma that has progressed after previous TKI treatment, unresectable liver cancer, and RET-mutated medullary thyroid cancer. Its international clinical status is very mature, but due to the long period of domestic approval and medical insurance negotiation, it is still in the non-coverage stage.

From the perspective of medical insurance policy, China has gradually expanded the scope of imported targeted drugs to be included in medical insurance in recent years. Drugs such as ensartinib, osimertinib, and pemetinib have all been included in the medical insurance catalog through negotiation. Therefore, the industry generally predicts that cabozantinib is expected to be included in the candidate list for national medical insurance negotiations after it is launched in China in the future, relying on its significant multi-target anti-cancer advantages and international clinical verification data. Once on the market and passed price negotiation, its cost is expected to drop significantly, thereby reducing the financial burden on patients.

Reference:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cabozantinib