Market price analysis of pemigatinib as a targeted drug in treatment

Pemigatinib is an oral small molecule inhibitor that targets the fibroblast growth factor receptor (FGFR) pathway. It is mainly used for patients with specific tumors such as cholangiocarcinoma carrying FGFR2 gene fusion or rearrangement. As a precision treatment drug, its research and development costs are high and its applicable population is relatively limited. These factors together determine that the overall pricing level of pemetinib in the market is relatively high, and also make price an issue that patients must consider when making treatment decisions.

In the domestic market, pemetinib has been officially launched as "pemetinib tablets", but it has not yet been included in the medical insurance reimbursement catalog, so patients need to pay for it in full. The current common specifications include 4.5mg 14 tablets and 9mg 14 tablets. The market price per box is roughly between 2 to 5 yuan. The specific price will vary due to hospital procurement, regional differences and other factors. For patients who need to take long-term treatment, the overall cost of treatment is relatively high.

In overseas markets, the price of the original drug pemetinib is generally higher. Taking the common specifications of 13.5mg*14 tablets as an example, the selling price of each box may be more than 7 RMB, and will also fluctuate due to exchange rates, drug purchase channels and regional differences. For some patients who are difficult to obtain drugs domestically or cannot purchase drugs through hospital channels in the short term, overseas original drugs can be an option, but the financial burden is often more obvious.

It is worth noting that a generic version of pemetinib has appeared in overseas markets, and its active ingredients are basically the same as the original drug. For example, the 4.5mg*14 tablets produced by Lucius Pharmaceuticals in Laos are priced at only more than 700 yuan per box, which is a very prominent price advantage. This has lowered the treatment threshold for patients to a certain extent, but when choosing, attention should still be paid to the formality of the source of drugs, and rational use of drugs under the guidance of professional doctors to balance economic affordability and treatment safety.

Keyword tags: pemetinib, FGFR inhibitor, cholangiocarcinoma, price, generic drugs

Reference materials:https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2022/213736s002lbl.pdf