Glenmark Pharma slashes price of breast cancer drug Trastuzumab

Glenmark Pharmaceuticals Ltd on Thursday said it has slashed the price of breast cancer drug Trastuzumab by bringing its brand Trumab at Rs 15,749 for a 440 mg vial from Rs 54,000 earlier.

Trastuzumab is used in the treatment of a particular type of breast cancer -- HER2-positive, and the company markets its version in India under the brand name 'Trumab'.

"The new price of the drug being marketed under the brand name 'Trumab', will be Rs 15,749 per 440 mg vial. This price reduction will bring the per mg cost of Trumab to around Rs 35, making it the most affordable treatment option for HER2-positive breast cancer in the country," Glenmark said in a statement.

Most of the existing Trastuzumab brands in the market are priced in between Rs 40,000 to Rs 54,000 per 440 mg vial, the company said, adding the cost of Trastuzumab treatment has been a major barrier for many patients in India.

"Considering that a patient needs to undergo a minimum of 18 cycles (12 months) of treatment, the average cost of treatment ranges from Rs 4 lakh to Rs 5 lakh for early breast cancer and can exceed Rs 5 lakh for advanced/metastatic cases," it added.

Glenmark Pharmaceuticals Executive Vice President & Head of India Formulations, Alok Malik said the company's move of reducing the cost of its life-saving drug Trumab is a major step towards its aim to provide access to quality healthcare to everyone, regardless of their financial situation.

"This will not only increase accessibility, but also bring hope to over 75 per cent of self-paying HER2-positive breast cancer patients in India," he added.