Erlotinib
Erlotinib was one of the first EGFR pills for lung cancer; it was approved before anyone knew EGFR mutations predicted who would respond, then redefined by them.
BR.21 (2005): survival benefit in unselected pretreated NSCLC. EURTAC (2012) and OPTIMAL established first-line use in EGFR-mutant disease; osimertinib (FLAURA) later displaced it. Also approved with gemcitabine in pancreatic cancer (marginal benefit). Rash and diarrhoea.
- Medicare
- Part D (self-administered)
Oral, self-administered, so it is a Part D drug: covered through a stand-alone Part D plan or Medicare Advantage drug benefit, usually on the specialty tier with 25 to 33% coinsurance until the annual cap ($2,000 in 2025, $2,100 in 2026). Generic erlotinib is inexpensive.
- Commercial insurance
- covered on label
Multi-source generic on low-cost tiers; usually no prior authorisation. Cash prices without insurance are modest. Some plans still require EGFR mutation documentation.
Sources: Medicare.gov: Drug coverage (Part D) · Medicare.gov: Costs for Medicare drug coverage (annual out-of-pocket cap). Not medical or financial advice; verify with your plan.
- Appraised for
- Untreated EGFR mutation-positive NSCLC
- Notes
- Second-line NSCLC: TA162 (2008).
- NHS England
- Routinely funded for the appraised indication (or via managed access)
Sources: NICE TA258 · SMC advice: erlotinib. Funding decisions are indication-specific and change monthly; verify with NICE and your treating team.
Approvals
| Region | Year | Indication |
|---|---|---|
| US | 2004 | Locally advanced/metastatic NSCLC after chemotherapy |
| US | 2005 | Pancreatic cancer with gemcitabine |
| US | 2013 | First-line NSCLC with EGFR exon 19 del or L858R |
Trials
topRecruiting now (live from ClinicalTrials.gov)
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Latest papers
topQuery for this drug: (TITLE:"Erlotinib" OR ABSTRACT:"Erlotinib" OR TITLE:"Tarceva" OR ABSTRACT:"Tarceva") AND (cancer OR tumor OR tumour OR oncology OR carcinoma OR lymphoma OR leukemia OR leukaemia OR myeloma OR sarcoma OR melanoma OR glioma). Results are unfiltered search hits about Erlotinib, not a curated reading list.
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