Will the price of serputinib/serpatinib be reduced in 2025? Will the financial burden on patients be reduced?

Selpercatinib is a selective RET kinase inhibitor developed by Eli Lilly and Company. It is mainly used to treat RET gene fusion or mutation-driven non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and thyroid cancer. It is currently on the market in China, but has not yet been officially included in the national medical insurance directory, which means that patients still have to pay for the drug at their own expense, and the overall economic burden is relatively high.

In the domestic market, the mainstream specification of the original drug is 80mg*56 capsules, and the price per box is expected to exceed 10,000 yuan; if calculated according to the conventional course of treatment, the monthly treatment cost may reach more than 20,000 yuan, which is a heavy financial expense for most families. Currently, the National Medical Insurance Directory is updated every year. Once the drug is included in the medical insurance, it will significantly reduce the cost of medication for patients.

In overseas markets, the price of seprotinib varies greatly depending on regions and versions. For example, the price of original drugs in the U.S. market is relatively high. Six boxes of 80 mg and 56 pills may cost more than RMB 100,000.

Some overseas countries and regions, such as India, Bangladesh, Laos, etc., have already obtained marketing authorization for generic drugs. For example, the generic version of Seputinib produced by a Lao pharmaceutical factory has a specification of 40 mg and 120 tablets. The price of a single box may only be more than 2,000 yuan. The ingredients and efficacy are basically the same as the original drug, making it an alternative choice for many patients with greater financial pressure.

Although generic drugs bring price advantages, they have not yet been approved for registration in China and can only be obtained through legal and compliant overseas channels. In the future, if the generic version can successfully enter the Chinese market, or the original drug is included in the scope of medical insurance reimbursement, the economic burden of the majority of patients with RET fusion or mutation-related tumors will be greatly reduced.

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