Is the brand introduction of tucatinib/tucatinib generic drug reliable?

Tucatinib (Tucatinib), as a potent HER2 tyrosine kinase inhibitor, has been approved globally and is widely used to treat HER2-positive breast cancer and other HER2-positive tumors. Although the original drug of tucatinib is produced by the American pharmaceutical company Seagen (formerly known as Seattle Genetics), as the market demand for the drug increases, generic drugs are gradually emerging in overseas markets, especially in Asia and other regions.

Currently, multiple pharmaceutical companies have launched generic versions of tucatinib in overseas markets. For example, companies such as Lucius Pharmaceuticals in Laos, Ziska Pharmaceuticals in Bangladesh, and Everest Pharmaceuticals in Bangladesh have launched generic versions of tucatinib. These generic drugs are usually consistent in specifications with the original drugs, such as packaging of 150mg*60 tablets. The price is more affordable than the original drugs. The price of a box is about more than 2,000 yuan (the specific price will change due to exchange rate fluctuations).

Compared with the original drug, the price of generic tucatinib has a significant advantage, making treatment affordable for more patients. However, patients and doctors often focus on the quality and effectiveness of the drug when choosing a generic drug. Although the ingredients of generic drugs are basically the same as those of original drugs, due to differences in production processes, quality control standards, etc., the efficacy and safety of generic drugs may sometimes involve certain risks.

First of all, the quality of generic drugs is usually verified through clinical equivalence tests with the original drugs to ensure that they are similar to the original drugs in terms of dosage, absorption, distribution, metabolism, etc. However, because some generic drug manufacturers may not fully follow the production standards of the original drugs, some patients may experience differences in efficacy or experience some unexperienced side effects after using generic drugs. Therefore, when choosing a generic drug, patients should ensure that the drug comes from a reliable manufacturer and strictly follow the doctor's instructions.

Reference materials:https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/drugInfo.cfm?setid=f27eb1b9-b7fc-424e-988f-84dd7bb195a3