How much does a complete one-year treatment with Zolbetuximab cost approximately and the key factors that affect the price

Zolbetuximab (Zolbetuximab-clzb) is a targeted immunotherapy drug for CLDN18.2 positive gastric cancer and gastroesophageal junction adenocarcinoma. Its one-year complete treatment cost is mainly determined by factors such as the unit price of the drug, the frequency of dosing regimen, and the patient's weight. The drug is currently on the market in China but is not covered by medical insurance, so full out-of-pocket payment becomes an important part of the patient's cost. The common specifications in China are 100mg/ boxes, and the price is about more than 5,000 yuan per box. The accumulated expenses over the months put great financial pressure on patients.

Considering routine clinical usage, zotuximab usually requires more frequent dosing in the initial phase and then gradually extends the dosing interval. For example, some plans may be once every three weeks or once every two weeks, depending on the individualized plan formulated by the doctor. If calculated based on one box every three weeks and about 17 administrations per year, the drug cost alone may be close to 8.5 RMB. If a more intensive regimen or combined chemotherapy treatment is used, the number of drugs used will be greater, and the total cost may be nearly 100,000 RMB or even higher.

In overseas markets, the original version of the drug has also been launched in Europe and Japan. The common specifications are 100mg/ boxes. Each box may be sold for more than 7,000 yuan (the price may fluctuate due to exchange rate fluctuations). Compared with domestic prices, overseas original drugs are priced higher. In foreign medical systems, they are usually partially reimbursed by local medical insurance or commercial insurance, thus reducing the actual payment by patients. However, for self-paying patients, the annual cost of using the overseas version of treatment is usually higher than the domestic price, which may be as high as hundreds of thousands of yuan or even higher, which also affects patients' decisions to purchase drugs across borders.

Key factors that affect the complete one-year treatment cost of zotuximab also include whether it is combined with other anti-tumor drugs, individual treatment course adjustment, medical institution charging standards, and medical insurance or commercial insurance coverage. At present, the lack of inclusion in domestic medical insurance means that most patients cannot enjoy the reimbursement policy unless the burden is reduced through other payment methods such as commercial insurance and critical illness insurance. In the future, if the drug enters the reimbursement list or a generic drug appears, its price may drop accordingly, thereby significantly reducing the overall treatment cost for patients.

Keyword tags:

Zotuximab,CLDN18.2Target, treatment cost, annual cost, price factors, medical insurance, combination therapy

Reference materials:https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/medicines/human/EPAR/