American pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly and Company has launched its new cancer drug in India. Solid tumor therapy, selpercatinib, has been launched in the Indian market under the brand name ‘Tenstrive’. It is an oral medicine – sold worldwide as ‘Retevmo’ – and is approved for lung and thyroid cancer patients who have a mutation or fusion in the ‘rearranged during transfection’ (RET) gene.
**This medicine is available in India for ₹2,15,000**
In India, a pack of this cancer drug will cost ₹2,15,000, and each pack will contain tablets for 14 days (on a dosage basis of two tablets per day). TenStrive is available in India in four dosage strengths: 40mg, 80mg, 120mg and 160mg.
This cancer drug is designed for patients who have mutations in the RET gene. These changes in genes tell cells to grow faster; Instead of working directly on cancer cells, TenStrive targets specific gene mutations. Since these genes cause the disease, drugs that act directly on the genes try to correct the root cause of the disease.
The drug binds to the RET kinase domain and prevents it from using adenosine triphosphate (ATP) – ATP is a source of cellular energy that helps in signal transmission. By blocking this signaling process, the drug stops the growth inside cancer cells, thereby slowing tumor growth.
Selpercatinib received approval from the US FDA in 2020 and again from the EMA in 2021. However, product labels warn about the risk of liver toxicity, hypertension, and heart problems.