The price of Apremilast/Apremilast tablets revealed: How much does a box cost?

Apremilast is an oral small molecule targeted drug that is widely used in a variety of chronic inflammatory diseases. It is a phosphodiesterase 4 (PDE4) inhibitor. It mainly regulates the release of intracellular inflammatory factors to achieve the balance of the immune system. According to approved indications abroad and domestically, Apremilast is currently mainly used to treat symptoms related to moderate to severe plaque psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis (PSA) and other autoimmune diseases. It is administered orally twice a day, which not only avoids the inconvenience of traditional injectable biologics, but also has better long-term compliance.

Judging from clinical studies, Apremilast has clear efficacy in controlling symptoms such as skin scales, itching, and joint pain. It is especially suitable for patients who are unwilling to use systemic hormone drugs or cannot tolerate biological agents. Its side effects are mild, and common discomforts include mild diarrhea, loss of appetite, headache, or mild depression, but you usually get used to it gradually during the initial period of medication.

In terms of price, Apremilast has been officially launched in mainland China and has been included in the medical insurance directory. The price varies slightly according to the medical insurance reimbursement policies implemented by hospitals in various places. Under normal circumstances, the average monthly treatment cost after medical insurance can be controlled from a few hundred yuan to more than a thousand yuan. For patients who need to take long-term medication, medical insurance coverage greatly reduces the financial burden. The price of the overseas original version is much higher Take the European version of Apremilast as an example. The current market price is generally around RMB 10,000. Due to the import costs and brand pricing strategy, it is much higher than the domestic price.

Generic versions of Apremilast have been approved for marketing in many countries, especially those produced in India and Laos that have attracted the most attention. Most of these generic versions have passed strict quality certification, and their prices have dropped significantly compared to the original drugs. They are basically a few hundred yuan per course of treatment, which greatly alleviates the financial pressure on patients to purchase drugs.

Reference materials:https://go.drugbank.com/drugs/DB05676