Imbruvica, Ibrutinib in China

[Green202]

Hello,

I wonder how much the Ibrutinib in China costs for Chinese pepole and what is the name of the medicine in China. It is clear that 1,440,646,255 Chinese have a different price when they need Ibrutinib because they do not have the same insurance system as in the US or in EU countries. I can not find any information about Ibrutinib in China. Perhaps because Chinese people manufacture the medicine they pay another price for Ibrutinib which is certainly very cheap while Janssen pharmaceutical companies take high prices for the medicine from us who live in the US and Europe from high taxes and expensive insurance we pay.

[Smith123456]

China has high tech drug manufacturing facilities. These chinese companies do batches of drugs for many drug companies. This is a contract process. The product is still owned by the drug owners abbvie/pharmacyclics/Jansen. Imbruvica is an 'orphan' drug and as such gets special pricing power in US and EU

China only makes the 'base chemical' . tableting and packaging is done in usa and another european country.

[Green202 in reply to Smith123456]

I wonder how much the Ibrutinib in China costs for Chinese pepole and what is the name of the medicine in China

[Smith123456 in reply to Green202]

my point is the chinese govenment has to get it from Pharmacyclics-unless they steal some and tablet and package it themselves. More likely it's allocated in China-just like the EU countries; If it 's stolen the chinese will never reveal it. If drug companies knew china was stealing it they wouldn't do business with them. also your making an assumption, look up how many billions of dollars worth of imbruvica is sold yearly BUT you have to divide it by about 150,000 dolllars(years supply) you'll find that a relativly few patients worldwide take it.

[LeoPa in reply to Smith123456]

I'd say many more would need or like to take it but they quietly die instead because they and their insurance companies simply can't afford it.

[Dummer70 in reply to LeoPa]

Even with insurance , it costs us about 3,400 per month!! We can’t afford another full year!!

[LeoPa in reply to Dummer70]

That is terrible. I wonder who can afford that much, except the rich.

[LeoPa in reply to Smith123456]

Given they have zanubrutinib which is a newer generation drug I don't think they need to steal it. They have more doctors, engineers and scientists than the US and EU combined. And not a bit less smart than those.

[Smith123456 in reply to LeoPa]

Beigene is a chinese company. of course your right in that regard.

[avzuclav in reply to Green202]

Ibrutinib is very similar to zanubrutinib which comes from Beigene in China, so you might want to ask about it.

This Vice reporter was able to purchase Revlimid(lenalidomide) in China for a very low price (see 9m40s into the video). This drug is also used for CLL. youtube.com/watch?v=35XGfnm...(Not working as expected?)

[LeoPa in reply to avzuclav]

Given how many scientists are in China and the resources at their disposal its just a question of time before they come up with more zanubrutinib versions and new drugs for CLL as well. As long as they ask a reasonable price many will pay it even out of pocket and gladly. And in aggregate that might mean more money than selling less of it more expensively. That's what I hope for. Most countries insurance systems simply can't afford the current prices.

[Kingfish6]

Heard $500+/mo. for India. May be made there also.

[Tabletenis]

I can't find information of ibrutinib in China , India , bút I know in Bangladesh ibrutinib made by Co. Everest with trade name Ibruxen 120 capsules140 mg price about usd500 . I 've been on it (for CLL) for 7 months with health status as good as on Imbruvica in 3 months earlier... Price change 12 times !

[morepork in reply to Tabletenis]

That's interesting - I believe/was told India manufactures exactly the same base ingredients for Ibrutinb as in China. but as you say package , brand and charge differently . I was also told Israel is now doing something similar though on a small scale.

[LeoPa in reply to Tabletenis]

That is a reasonable price. Nobody would have to die prematurely if it was available everywhere for that much.

[Smith123456]

The wild card in some countries-some countries ignore patent rights that usa and EU follow. If you don't honor a patent then anyone can make a drug.

The other is that the major drug companies do make deals to sell their drugs-usually under another name in 3rd world countries-at a lower price

[Tabletenis in reply to Smith123456]

I've read in internet Bangladesh : Drug patent term is 15-20 years (aprox.) , but by UN instructions Third World countries have the right to make the drug ( for their consumption )...

[Dkozi]

Go to Alibaba and search for ibrutinib, you will find prices in the powdered form. Also, citizens of India can purchase ibrunat (copycat Imbruvica) 140mg capsules.

Taking Ibrutinib in powdered form comes at a risk of severe side effects - see below. Also, providing specific price and company information is against HU guidelines so that text has been removed - Admin

[AussieNeil Administrator in reply to Dkozi]

Ibrutinib is specifically provided in capsule form to ensure it is maximally absorbed into the blood stream at the correct point in the digestive system to minimise side effects. The instructions specifically warn against breaking the capsule, so I would be very wary about taking it in powdered form.

Ibrunat has not been through FDA approval, nor am I aware of any clinical trials for this copy version. Part of the higher cost of approved drugs goes to pay for clinical trials, which hopefully prove that the drug works and has an acceptable long term safety profile.

Neil

[Smith123456 in reply to AussieNeil]

We get the tablet form in usa. i have been on a 420 mg. tablet for 20 months.

[AussieNeil Administrator in reply to Smith123456]

Perhaps I should have said encapsulated form, as the tablets have an enteric coating. Powders are also more easily adulterated.