地诺单抗是医保药物吗？

Is it a Medicare drug? Denosumab was approved for marketing in my country in May 2019. As an original drug, it is usually priced relatively high in my country. Whether it is included in medical insurance means whether patients can afford it and take it. Since denosumab has been on the market for a short time in my country and was approved conditionally, denosumab is currently not a medically reimbursable drug.

On May 28, 2010, the European Commission approved denosumab for the treatment of bone loss associated with hormone suppression in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis and prostate cancer. It can also be used in patients who are currently ineffective or intolerant to other treatments to reduce the risk of fractures.

Denosumab can only be given by subcutaneous injection, not by intravenous infusion, intramuscular infusion or intradermal injection. Inject 120 mg subcutaneously into the upper arm, upper thigh, or abdomen every 4 weeks to give calcium and vitamin D when needed to treat or prevent hypocalcemia.

Hypocalcemia must be corrected before denosumab therapy can be initiated. For patients who are prone to hypocalcemia and mineral metabolism imbalance (such as those with a history of hypoparathyroidism, thyroid surgery, parathyroid surgery, malnutrition, small bowel resection, severe renal insufficiency), clinical monitoring of creatinine and mineral levels is required, and such patients should be instructed to pay attention to the symptoms of hypocalcemia and to supplement adequate amounts of calcium and vitamin D.

Compared with bisphosphonates that have been clinically used for a long time, denosumab has the advantage of significantly prolonging the occurrence time of bone damage-related events; it can be administered subcutaneously and is easy to use, and clinical data shows that the drug does not require monitoring of renal function.

Although medical insurance reimbursement is not yet available in our country, Medical Companion Travel understands that the price of denosumab on the market in Turkey is relatively low. It is also an original drug produced by Amgen. The specification is 125mg/1ml tube/box, and the equivalent price in RMB is around 3,000$. It may fluctuate due to exchange rates and other factors. For details, please consult Medical Companion Travel Service.