Is selpercatinib available in Nigeria (and how to get the treatment right away)?

For patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and medullary thyroid cancer with an RET mutation, there is a new treatment option available. In 2022, Retsevmo/Retevmo (selpercatinib) got its FDA approval. Since then, it's also received approval in Europe, Australia, China, and more.

But what does this mean for lung and thyroid cancer patients in Nigeria? Is selpercatinib available in Nigeria? And what are your options for getting the medicine before it's available locally?

What is Retsevmo used for?

Retsevmo (also sold under the brand name Retevmo) is approved for the treatment of the following cancers with a RET gene mutation:

• advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in adults who haven't received a RET inhibitor;
• advanced thyroid cancer in patients at least 12 years of age, when radioactive iodine has not worked or has stopped working;
• advanced medullary thyroid cancer in patients aged 12 years and up;
• advanced solid tumours in adults in whom non-targeted treatments have not worked well enough or who have no other treatment option ¹.

Retsevmo (selpercatinib) is notable for being the first highly selective RET inhibitor. Prior to its approval, treatment options included multikinase inhibitors like cabozantinib and vandetanib. They target multiple kinases including RET but are less selective and often associated with broader side effects.

Retsevmo's selectivity allows for more targeted therapy. This could potentially lead to improved efficacy and tolerability for patients with RET-driven cancers ².

How does selpercatinib work?

Retsevmo (selpercatinib) is a targeted cancer therapy. It works by blocking abnormal proteins produced due to changes in the RET gene. These proteins drive uncontrolled cell growth and cancer in affected patients. By inhibiting their activity, Retsevmo helps slow or stop the growth and spread of cancer cells ¹.

How effective is Retevmo?

Selpercatinib's approval was based on the reported results of its LIBRETTO-431 and LIBRETTO-531 studies. Let's have a look at the key outcomes of these studies.

Retevmo's effectiveness in RET-positive non-small cell lung cancer

In the LIBRETTO-431 study, Retsevmo/Retevmo was evaluated against platinum-based chemotherapy (with or without pembrolizumab). The included patients had advanced or metastatic RET-positive non-small cell lung cancer. These were the main outcomes:

• 83.7% of patients treated with selpercatinib had their tumors shrink or disappear;
• The median progression-free survival for patients on selpercatinib was 24.8 months (vs. 11.2 months for the control group);
• Brain metastases disappeared in 35.3% of patients on selpercatinib (vs. 16.7% in the control group) ³.

Retevmo's effectiveness in RET-mutant medullary thyroid cancer

In the LIBRETTO-531 study, selpercatinib was evaluated against cabozatinib/vandetanib in patients with advanced or metastatic RET-mutant medullary thyroid cancer. The key reported outcomes included:

• 69.9% of patients treated with Retsevmo had their tumors shrink or disappear (vs. 38.8% in the control group);
• The median progression-free survival for the Retsevmo patients was not reached. For the control group, it was 16.8 months;
• There was a significant improvement in treatment failure-free survival for patients on selpercatinib ³.

Is selpercatinib available in Nigeria?

Unfortunately, as of January 2025, Retsevmo/Retevmo is not registered with NAFDAC and is not available in Nigeria. However, this doesn't mean that you cannot get the treatment. Here is what you can do.

How to get selpercatinib in Nigeria

Patients around the world (including in Nigeria) have the right to buy a medicine from abroad. Even if it's not approved or available locally, as long as it meets these criteria:

• it's for a life-threatening or debilitating disease;
• it's approved somewhere in the world;
• there's no adequate alternative available locally;
• it's been prescribed by the patient's treating doctor.

If you have a prescription for selpercatinib, you can get the medicine right away. Simply share your prescription with our expert team and we'll assist you in buying Retsevmo in Nigeria.

What is the price of selpercatinib in Nigeria?

When you're ordering medicines not available in Nigeria, you normally bear the cost yourself. However, it's worth checking with your health insurance provider, as they may offer some coverage. While the final cost may vary due to availability, type of delivery, and the supplier, here's an idea of how much your selpercatinib treatment in Nigeria could cost:

• A pack of 56 capsules (40 mg) costs about EUR 1232 (NGN 1.980.440) and is sufficient for about one month of treatment ⁴.

Has your doctor prescribed selpercatinib and are you eager to start your treatment right away? Request the medicine via the button below to get started.

Request Retsevmo

Referências:

1. Retsevmo | European Medicines Agency (EMA). European Medicines Agency, Accessed 20 January 2025.
2. Selpercatinib. Wikipedia, Accessed 20 January 2025.
3. Lilly's Retevmo® (selpercatinib) Phase 3 Results in RET Fusion-Positive Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer and RET-Mutant Medullary Thyroid Cancer Both Published in The New England Journal of Medicine and Presented in a Presidential Symposium at ESMO Congress 2023. Lilly, Accessed 19 January 2025. 
4. Retsevmo (selpercatinib). Everyone.org, Accessed 19 January 2025.