Lapatinib is a targeted oral medication in the form of a cancer treatment used to treat HER2-positive advanced or metastatic breast cancer. It is usually prescribed in combination with other drugs including capecitabine or letrozole. Lapatinib achieves this by blocking certain protein receptors (HER2 and EGFR) which stimulate growth of the cancer cell.
Its medical complexity is, however, not the real issue facing patients and their families as well; the real issue is that it is a high-priced condition. Lapatinib is highly costly across all nations, but there is more inconsistency between the cost of the drug in different countries. In this article, we are going to take a closer look at the prices of Lapatinib in the USA, the UK, Malaysia, and the Philippines, but we will simply consider the two key figures:
Price of per tablet (pill)
Cost of one month of treatment(estimated)
This simplifies the chances of comparing and getting an insight on the amount really spent by the patients.
Lapatinib is marketed under the brand-name Tykerb in the United States. The high costs of drugs in the USA are due to the protection of brands and complicated insurance systems.
Cost of each tablet: Approximately $66 for each pill
Expenses of a month of treatment: At the typical dose (150 tablets for $9,948.50) It can go as high as between $9,948.50 USD per month
This increases the cost of Lapatinib to the patients who do not have good cover. Co-payments may be considerable even to insured patients. Due to this, a significant proportion of people in the USA seek discount schemes or international medicines stores.
In the United Kingdom, the identical medicine is sold as Tyverb. Drug prices are also cheaper as opposed to the USA since the national health service (NHS) negotiates with the pharmaceutical industries.
Cost of each tablet: Around 4-5 GBP per pill
The average cost per month of treatment: 600-700 GBP
But, through the NHS system, a great number of patients are not paying the full amount directly. Rather, a significant portion of the expense is owed to the government and one might just pay a regular fee on prescription. In those patients who are not covered by the NHS or those who are in the private sector, the full cost can be interpreted.
Lapatinib is also available in major hospitals and cancer centers in the country of Malaysia. The price is less expensive in comparison to West’s countries but it still remains a financial burden for most of the families as insurance cover is limited.
Price per tablet: About 25-30 MYR /tablet(s)(5-6 USD)
treatment price: It can Cost 3,000 – 4,000 MYR/month ( about $ 700 - 800 USD)
Notwithstanding the USA is cheaper for this, this is still very pricey for punters all over Malaysia. Govt hospitals offer subsidies but private treatment is expensive.
In the Philippines, patients are also struggling with access to cancer medicines because of high cost. Its pricing is relatively the same as that of Malaysia except that availability is a problem in smaller cities.
Drug cost in tablets: Approximately 250300 PHP per tablet (approximately 45 USD)
Monthly cost of treatment: Approximately 35,000-40,000 PHP a month (or about 650-750 USD)
To several households, this expense is overwhelming because healthcare insurance in the Philippines is not as powerful as in the western world. There are patients who depend on the government program, non-government health organizations or international assistance to be capable of the drug.
India has the lowest price of Lapatinib as compared to other countries due to the robust industry of generic drugs. Most companies producing Lapatinib in India produce generic drugs under the different brand such as Herduo, Hertab etc after the patent ran out. Such generics are equally efficient, in comparison with such branded drugs as Tykerb or Tyverb, yet they are marketed at a significantly lower price.
Cost of a tablet: About 150 INR per pill (roughly $1.5USD per pill)
Spending on medications: At the usually recommended dose of 5 tablets of 250mg a day the estimated complete monthly total is around $225.
This is nearly 10 times less expensive than the USA and several times less compared with Malaysia or the Philippines.
Generic production Indian pharma companies make their local versions of Lapatinib as the protection of international patents on their events is over.
Government regulations: The policies of India help in supporting more affordable treatment of cancer as it does not control the prices of essential medicines.
Competition: In the presence of several manufacturers of the same drug, there is always competition bound to lower the cost.
Local demand: there is an enormous population of cancer patients in India, and therefore large-scale production will cut down the unit cost.
The major causes of USA having higher prices are the following:
Unavailability of negotiation by the government with pharmaceutical companies.
Reliance on personal insurance.
Patent protection that holds off lower cost Generics.
In the meantime, the UK enjoys lower prices due to the NHS, and Malaysia and the Philippines prefer to use the generic imports which resulted in keeping the costs lower than in the Western markets.
Although the changes in cost are substantial the implication is the same: families are not able to afford. In even countries with a lower price, the monthly expenditure is several months of average salary.
In the USA, patients who are insured are also subjected to very hefty co-pays.
In the UK, the patients receive the support of the NHS, although they might be restricted to particular cases.
In Malaysia and the Philippines, lots of patients use charity programs or NGOs or overseas sourcing in order to pay for the treatment.
This demonstrates that not only the system of healthcare, but also emotional and financial well-being of the patient is subject to the impact that the price of medicine could have.
Lapatinib has become a critical drug in the treatment of HER2-positive advanced breast cancer but costs to patients are overwhelming across the world.
In the USA it costs more than 1,500 dollars a month, in the UK about 600-700 pounds, with the support of the NHS. In Malaysia the cost to treat is approximately 700-800 USD a month and in the Philippines it is 650-750 USD.
The cost financing however is a lot lower in India due to the presence of generic versions that will only cost about 200-250 USD for complete month including shipping. That demonstrates how uneven access to cancer treatment around the world and how the affordable generic drugs of India offer a tangible ray of hope to cancer patients struggling with finances.
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