New Delhi: Mumbai-based pharma major Glenmark Thursday announced its decision to slash the price of Trumab, its version of Trastuzumab, a drug used in the treatment of HER2-positive breast cancer, to Rs 15,749 per 440 mg vial — making it the most affordable brand of the drug in India.
Trumab was previously available at Rs 54,000 per 440 mg vial in the country.
Breast cancer is one of the most commonly diagnosed cancers in India, accounting for nearly 17.4 per cent of all cases, with an estimated 1.78 lakh new cases diagnosed each year, and a five-year prevalence of 4.5 lakh cases, according to GLOBOCAN 2020 report.
This means that as many as 4.5 lakh new cases of breast cancer are diagnosed in India every five years.
Breast cancer identified as HER2-positive tends to grow faster, spread (metastatic breast cancer) and come back (recur) since this protein (HER2) helps cancer cells grow and spread.
The available evidence suggests that the incidence of HER2-positivity in the Indian population ranges between 26 and 50 per cent. This means that HER2-positive breast cancer accounts for between 26 and 50 per cent of new cancers occurring per 100,000 Indian population per year.
Trastuzumab is a monoclonal antibody that has been the mainstay of HER2-positive breast cancer treatment for many years.
The cost of Trastuzumab treatment has been a major barrier for many patients in India as most of the existing Trastuzumab brands in the market are priced between Rs 40,000 and 54,000 per 440 mg vial.
Considering that a patient needs to undergo a minimum of 18 cycles spread over 12 months of treatment, the average cost of treatment ranges from Rs 4,00,000 to Rs 5,00,000 for early breast cancer and can exceed Rs 5,00,000 for advanced or metastatic cases.
“This price reduction will bring the per mg cost of Trumab to around INR 35, making it the most affordable treatment option for HER2-positive breast cancer in the country,” Glenmark said in a statement Thursday.
Alok Malik, executive vice president and head of India formulations, Glenmark Pharma, added in the statement that the reduction of Trastuzumab prices will not only increase accessibility but also bring hope to over 75 per cent of self-paying HER2-positive breast cancer patients in India.
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What is HER2-positive breast cancer
All breast cells have and are tested for an excess of human epidermal growth factor receptor 2, a type of protein commonly referred to as HER2.
HER2 proteins are receptors that control how the cells grow and divide.
When breast tissue has extra HER2 receptors (overexpression), cells can multiply too quickly. The growth in such cases may become uncontrolled and lead to a tumour.
Trastuzumab works by binding to the protein and blocking its multiplication.
(Edited by Amrtansh Arora)