India Pharma Outlook Team | Friday, 26 June 2026
Patients with rare cancer mutations in India now have access to a globally approved treatment option.
Tanstrive, a targeted cancer therapy from Eli Lilly, has been launched in the country for patients with RET-altered tumors.
The launch of Tanstrive marks an important step in expanding access to precision-based cancer care, especially for patients with advanced cancers driven by specific genetic mutations.
The drug contains Selpercatinib, a selective RET inhibitor that targets abnormal RET gene activity responsible for tumor growth. It is priced at Rs 2.15 lakh per box, with each box providing around 14 days of treatment.
Tanstrive is designed for patients with advanced or metastatic solid tumors that carry alterations in the RET gene. These genetic changes are found in a small percentage of cancer patients but can play a major role in disease progression.
The therapy is approved for treating patients with:
Experts say patients must undergo molecular or genomic testing to identify RET mutations before they can be considered for treatment with Selpercatinib.
According to industry estimates, RET alterations are found in around 1-2% of patients with non-small cell lung cancer, making them a relatively rare but actionable target for treatment.
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The arrival of Tanstrive brings a globally recognized targeted therapy to India at a time when cancer care is increasingly moving toward personalized treatment approaches.
Unlike traditional treatments that broadly attack cancer cells, precision oncology focuses on identifying the genetic drivers behind a patient's cancer and targeting them directly. This approach can improve treatment outcomes while reducing unnecessary exposure to therapies that may not be effective.
The launch is expected to benefit a small but important group of patients who previously had limited access to therapies specifically designed for RET-driven cancers.
The launch is backed by data from the LIBRETTO-001 clinical study, which evaluated the effectiveness of Selpercatinib in patients with RET-driven cancers.
The study reported:
These findings helped establish Selpercatinib as a leading treatment option for cancers driven by RET alterations in several global markets.
With the launch of Tanstrive, Indian patients with RET fusion and other RET-related genetic alterations now have access to a treatment that specifically targets the underlying cause of their disease. While the therapy comes with a significant price tag, oncologists say its availability represents another step forward for advanced cancer treatment and precision oncology in India.
Eli Lilly is a global pharmaceutical company headquartered in the United States. It develops medicines across areas such as cancer, diabetes, obesity, immunology, and neuroscience, with operations in more than 100 countries.
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