Eli Lilly launches its first solid tumour RET-gene therapy in India

The US drugmaker has launched Tanstrive, a RET-targeted oral therapy for advanced or metastatic solid tumours, following marketing authorisation from the CDSCO

US-based drugmaker Eli Lilly has launched its oral solid tumour therapy, selpercatinib, under the brand name Tanstrive in India, the first in the country for locally advanced or metastatic solid tumours with a rearranged during transfection (RET) gene.

 

Globally marketed as Retevmo, the drug is approved to treat lung and thyroid cancer patients with a RET gene mutation or fusion. The move follows Tanstrive receiving marketing authorisation from the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO).

 

While the company did not share the potential market size for the drug, it stated that RET alterations are found in approximately 1-2 per cent of patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in India.

 

“As precision oncology continues to reshape cancer care, Tanstrive represents an important step forward, expanding access to targeted therapies for patients in India,” said Winselow Tucker, president and general manager, Eli Lilly (India).

 

The drugmaker announced that the prescription-only drug will be available in India in 40 milligram (mg), 80 mg, 120 mg and 160 mg tablet strengths.

 

People in the know told Business Standard that the drug will retail at Rs 2.15 lakh per box, with each box providing a 14-day treatment regimen.

 

“RET alterations are rare but clinically actionable genetic drivers that can promote tumour growth across multiple cancer types, including NSCLC, thyroid cancers and certain solid tumours,” Lilly said.

 

The twice-daily drug aims to block the RET tyrosine kinase, a signalling protein that drives cancer cell growth and slows tumour progression. The drug received US Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) approval in 2020, followed by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) approval in 2021.

 

Rahul Kapur, senior director (medical) at Lilly, added that as the first and only selective RET inhibitor approved in India for RET-altered solid tumours, regardless of tumour type, Tanstrive is designed to target the molecular drivers of these cancers directly.

 

He added that this will offer a precision, biomarker-guided option with demonstrated rapid and durable responses, including activity in patients with central nervous system involvement.