US approves Chinese cancer drug, sells for 30 times higher

The US has just approved a Chinese-made cancer drug priced at more than $8,000 a bottle, 30 times higher than the price at the place of manufacture.

The decision was made by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on November 29, the drug called Toripalimab, belongs to the group of PD-1 inhibitors used to treat advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). The drug works by blocking the PD-1 receptor on tumor cells, helping to enhance the ability to attack and destroy tumor cells.

Cancer patients will receive a 30- to 60-minute intravenous infusion in the hospital about two or three times a week, depending on the doctor's instructions. For patients with metastatic or recurrent nasopharyngeal carcinoma who are being treated with cisplatin and gemcitabine in parallel, the combined dose of Toripalimab is 240 mg every three weeks.

Common side effects of the drug are fatigue, hypothyroidism, and musculoskeletal pain, occurring in about 20% of patients. Unwanted reactions when used with cisplatin and gemcitabine include nausea, vomiting, anorexia, constipation, rash, fever, diarrhea, peripheral neuropathy, cough, myalgia, and difficulty sleeping.

Toripalimab on display at the 8th China International Technology Fair. Photo: VCG

In the United States, the drug sells for $8,800 a vial, more than 30 times the 2,000 yuan ($280) it costs in China. Two other Chinese cancer drugs will also be priced similarly in the U.S. market. But that is still significantly lower than the same group of cancer drugs sold in the U.S. That’s because in China, drug prices are based on the health insurance subscription system, rather than wholesale prices.

According to the National Health Insurance Administration, by the end of last year, 95% of Chinese people had joined the basic insurance system, which is nearly universal.

This month, the US also approved two more Chinese-made cancer drugs, Fruquintinib and Efbemalenograstim alfa.

Fruquintinib, developed by HutchMed Pharmaceuticals, was approved on November 9 to treat metastatic colorectal cancer in adults who have previously received other drugs. Efbemalenograstim alfa, developed by Evive Biotech, was approved on November 16 to treat chemotherapy-induced neutropenia.

Thuc Linh (According to FDA )

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