Vandetanib
Vandetanib was the first drug approved for medullary thyroid cancer (2011), now largely replaced by RET-selective selpercatinib.
ZETA trial: PFS HR 0.46 versus placebo in advanced MTC; FDA approval April 2011 with a REMS for QT prolongation. LIBRETTO-531 showed selpercatinib superior to vandetanib or cabozantinib first line.
1.Blocks RET kinase, the driver in hereditary and most sporadic MTC
- Route
- Oral
- Schedule
- 300 mg once daily
- Monitoring
- ECG and electrolytes (QT prolongation REMS)
Source: www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2022/022405s015lbl.pdf. Doses are for orientation; the current label governs.
- 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).
- Commercial insurance
- covered with prior authorisation
Covered for FDA-labelled and NCCN-listed uses, but almost always behind prior authorisation confirming diagnosis, biomarker and line of therapy; dispensed through a specialty pharmacy.
Part D out-of-pocket capped at $2,000 (2025) / $2,100 (2026). Medicare patients cannot use manufacturer co-pay cards; charity funds (PAN, HealthWell, CancerCare) and the Extra Help subsidy are the routes.
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.
- Notes
- TA550 (2018) appraised vandetanib for medullary thyroid cancer; outcome not verified here. Check NICE.
Sources: NICE search: vandetanib. Funding decisions are indication-specific and change monthly; verify with NICE and your treating team.
- 6 Apr 2011ApprovalUS
First approval for medullary thyroid cancer
Approvals
| Region | Year | Indication |
|---|---|---|
| US | 2011 | Symptomatic or progressive medullary thyroid cancer |
Trials
topRecruiting now (live from ClinicalTrials.gov)
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Landmark trials in OnCo
Latest papers
topQuery for this drug: (TITLE:"Vandetanib" OR ABSTRACT:"Vandetanib" OR TITLE:"Caprelsa" OR ABSTRACT:"Caprelsa") 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 Vandetanib, not a curated reading list.
Pages like this
not linked directly; found by shared links- TrialSELECT
Shares RET, VEGF / VEGFR, Thyroid cancer, Small-molecule kinase inhibitors.
- TrialARROW (thyroid cohorts)
Shares RET, Thyroid cancer, Small-molecule kinase inhibitors.
- TrialLIBRETTO-431
Shares LIBRETTO-531, RET.
- TrialDECISION
Shares VEGF / VEGFR, Thyroid cancer, Small-molecule kinase inhibitors.
- ProductSelpercatinib
Shares LIBRETTO-531, RET, Thyroid cancer, Small-molecule kinase inhibitors.
- ProductPralsetinib
Shares RET, Thyroid cancer, Small-molecule kinase inhibitors.
- PersonAlexander Drilon
Shares RET, Thyroid cancer, Small-molecule kinase inhibitors.
- ProductDacomitinib
Shares EGFR, Small-molecule kinase inhibitors.