Targeted drug selection for lung cancer

  At present, there are three targeted drugs for lung cancer in China, namely, erlotinib hydrochloride (Kemetinib), erlotinib and gefitinib.  Several authoritative studies at home and abroad have confirmed that the efficacy of the three drugs is similar, with significant improvements in prolonging patients’ progression-free survival and quality of life; in terms of side effects, the side effects of all three drugs are much lower than those of chemotherapy, and less hematological toxicity occurs; in terms of comparison of the side effects of the three TKI, The Lancet Oncology Journal reported: the side effects of erlotinib hydrochloride (Kemena) are much less than those of the other two targeted drugs such as gefitinib and erlotinib.  The average monthly treatment cost of $11,000 and the total treatment cost of $71,000 are also much lower than the other two targeted drugs in terms of drug economy.