What is the price difference between Bangladeshi generic drugs and original research products of ruxolitinib/ruxolitinib cream?

Ruxolitinib is a selective external JAK1/JAK2 inhibitor, which is a targeted non-hormonal drug and is mainly used to treat inflammatory skin diseases. It reduces the release of inflammatory factors by inhibiting the Janus kinase signal transduction pathway, thereby improving symptoms such as skin erythema, itching, and thickness. Compared with traditional topical glucocorticoids, the advantage of ruxolitinib cream is that it is less likely to cause long-term side effects such as skin atrophy, and is especially suitable for patients who require long-term maintenance treatment.

Internationally, ruxolitinib cream has been approved for the treatment of mild to moderate atopic dermatitis (AD), vitiligo and other diseases. Its pharmacological mechanism can target the core link of immune inflammation in diseases, so it has significant curative effect and good skin tolerance. Many overseas clinical practices have shown that some patients can see significant improvement in rashes and depigmentation areas after using it for several weeks, and it is especially helpful for pigment recovery in patients with vitiligo.

Currently in the international market, ruxolitinib cream is available in both original and generic versions. The common specifications of the European version of the original drug are 1.5%*60g, and each box sells for about 20,000 yuan (the price will fluctuate with exchange rates and tariffs). Generic drugs in countries such as Bangladesh have become an affordable alternative due to their low production costs and market pricing. For example, the generic version launched by Bangladesh Yaopin International has basically the same ingredients as the original drug, with a specification of 1.5%*30g and a price of about more than 500 yuan per box. This price difference means that patients can significantly reduce their financial burden during long-term medication.

Although generic drugs have the same active ingredients as brand-name drugs, there may be slight differences in the selection of excipients, production processes and quality control standards. However, a large amount of international experience has shown that qualified generic drugs are not much different from original drugs in terms of efficacy and safety, especially products from manufacturers with strict production quality certification.

Reference: https://www.opzelura.com/