Targeted therapy using tovorafenib has begun in Russia. The drug with this active ingredient, Ojemda, is produced by the American biopharmaceutical company Day One Biopharmaceuticals.
A medicine for the treatment of low-grade glioma, the most common brain tumor in children, is being purchased by the Circle of Kindness Foundation. Since Ojemda is not registered in Russia, the purchase is arranged directly, with the participation of the Federal Antimonopoly Service, the foundation said.
“For most patients with pediatric low-grade glioma, targeted therapy that affects the tumor molecules themselves is more effective than standard chemotherapy. The drug can be used from the age of 6 months, which improves patient survival,” the Circle of Kindness reported, noting that Ojemda has already been sent to children in the Lipetsk, Kemerovo, and Sverdlovsk regions, and the list of regions may be expanded in the near future.
Tovorafenib received the status of a “breakthrough therapy” in the United States in April 2024, becoming the first commercial product of Day One Biopharmaceuticals. As stated on the company’s website, it was created to fight childhood cancer. The name of the pharmaceutical manufacturer refers to The Day One Talk program, the discussion that occurs between a pediatric oncologist and a family when they first learn about their child’s new diagnosis of cancer.
A pack of sixteen 100 mg Ojemda tablets costs about $ 35,000. In the second quarter of 2025, net sales of the drug amounted to $33.6 million, an increase of 10% compared to the first quarter. According to forecasts, revenue by the end of the year will range from $140 to $150 million.
Despite its impressive cost, Ojemda is not among the top ten most expensive drugs in the United States.