Cancer Drugs Tislelizumab and Zanubrutinib | 24 May 2024

Source: TH

India is set to get access to two new cancer drugs named Tislelizumab and Zanubrutinib.

• Tislelizumab, a new immunotherapy drug, is showing effectiveness in treating advanced oesophagal squamous cell carcinoma (Cancer that forms in the thin, flat cells lining the inside of the oesophagus).
• Zanubrutinib is a type of medication that inhibits a protein called Bruton's tyrosine kinase (BTK), which is important for the growth and survival of certain cancerous blood cells.
  • It has been approved for the treatment of specific types of blood cancers.
• Cancer refers to a group of diseases characterised by the uncontrolled proliferation and spread of abnormal cells in the body, which can infiltrate and harm healthy tissues and organs.
• In 2019, India had 1.2 million new cancer cases and 930,000 deaths, making it the second-highest contributor to the disease burden in Asia for that year.
  • The cancer cases in the country are projected to increase from 14.6 lakh in 2022 to 15.7 lakh in 2025, as per the Indian Council of Medical Research.

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