Whether Erdafitinib is currently included in the national medical insurance and its actual reimbursement rate

Erdafitinib is an oral small molecule inhibitor that targets fibroblast growth factor receptor (FGFR) mutations or fusions. It is mainly used for patients with urothelial cancer of specific molecular types. Judging from the current policy situation, although erdafitinib has been approved for marketing in China, it has not yet been included in the national medical insurance directory, which means that when patients take the drug through formal channels in China, in principle, the relevant costs need to be borne at their own expense.

Since it has not yet been included in medical insurance, there is no unified medical insurance reimbursement ratio for erdafitinib in China. Even if there are special negotiated drugs, clinical trials or internal hospital exemption policies in some areas, they do not fall under the routine reimbursement at the national medical insurance level. The specific situation needs to be subject to the actual implementation of the local hospital or medical insurance department. Therefore, overall, erdafitinib is still one of the targeted therapy drugs that carries a heavy financial burden on patients.

In terms of drug accessibility, due to the short time it has been on the market, some domestic hospitals have not yet fully equipped erdafitinib, so it may be difficult for patients to purchase it directly in China. In this case, some patients will choose to obtain drugs through foreign channels. For example, the original version of the drug sold in Hong Kong, China, often costs more than 20,000 yuan per box, and needs to be purchased through regular Hong Kong pharmacies or medical channels.

At the same time, generic drugs of erdafitinib are also available in overseas markets. Common sources include the Laos version and the Bangladesh Yaopin International version. The price range ranges from a few hundred yuan to more than 2,000 yuan, and its active ingredients are basically the same as the original drug. This reduces the cost of medication for patients to a certain extent, but whether you choose original or generic drugs, they should be used under the guidance of a doctor and obtained through relatively formal channels to ensure the safety and continuity of treatment.

Keyword tags: erdafitinib, FGFR inhibitor, urothelial cancer, medical insurance, price

Reference materials:https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32935605/