How much does lenvatinib/lenvatinib cost? What is the difference between domestic and imported drugs?

Lenvatinib, as a multi-target tyrosine kinase inhibitor, is mainly used to treat a variety of advanced malignant tumors, including kidney cancer, liver cancer, thyroid cancer, etc. Its promotion in the Chinese market in recent years has enabled more patients to benefit. Regarding the price of lenvatinib and the difference between domestic and imported drugs, this topic has attracted much attention, especially in the practical application of drugs after they are included in medical insurance.

At present, lenvatinib has been officially launched in China. The mainstream specification is 4mg × 30 tablets, with a market price of approximately RMB 3,000. The drug has been included in the national medical insurance catalog. The specific reimbursement ratio and price will vary depending on regional policies. Patients can obtain a more favorable purchase price at the hospital pharmacy according to the local medical insurance regulations. The addition of medical insurance has greatly reduced the financial burden on patients, improved the accessibility of the drug, and promoted the widespread clinical application of lenvatinib.

In addition to imported original drugs, domestic generic drugs have also been launched on the market in recent years, becoming an important supplement to the market. Domestic lenvatinib is usually produced by local pharmaceutical companies. These companies have passed strict approval and consistency evaluation by the National Medical Products Administration to ensure that its quality and efficacy are basically equivalent to the original drug. The biggest advantage of domestically produced drugs is their relatively low price, which is usually about 20% to 40% cheaper than imported drugs. This allows more patients to afford lenvatinib treatment, thus broadening the scope of clinical application.

The differences between imported drugs and domestic drugs are mainly reflected in the research and development background, production process, supply chain and price. Imported drugs are often developed by multinational pharmaceutical companies, have mature clinical data support and global market certification, strict production process standards, stable quality and are subject to international regulatory systems. In contrast, domestic generic drugs imitate the chemical structure and formulation process of original drugs to ensure bioequivalence. Although they started late, in recent years, with technological advancement and regulatory standards improvement, the quality of domestic drugs has approached or even reached the level of imported drugs.

Reference materials:https://www.lenvima.com/