Gemcitabine
A versatile chemotherapy used in pancreatic, bladder, lung, ovarian, breast and biliary cancers, in nasopharyngeal cancer, and as a bladder instillation.
Approved 1996 for pancreatic cancer (clinical benefit response versus 5-FU); combinations: gemcitabine-cisplatin (biliary ABC-02, bladder, NPC induction), gemcitabine-nab-paclitaxel (pancreatic), gemcitabine-carboplatin (ovarian, breast), gemcitabine-docetaxel (sarcoma), GemOx (lymphoma). Intravesical gemcitabine for NMIBC. Flu-like symptoms, myelosuppression, rare TMA/pneumonitis.
- Medicare
- Part B (clinician-administered)
Given by infusion or injection in a clinic or hospital outpatient department, so it is a Part B drug: Medicare pays 80% after the Part B deductible and the patient owes 20% coinsurance, uncapped in Original Medicare unless a Medigap policy applies. HCPCS J9201. Generic; Infugem (premixed) is priced higher and may be reviewed.
- Commercial insurance
- covered on label
Multi-source generic; covered under the medical benefit without prior authorisation in most plans, as part of standard regimens.
Sources: Medicare.gov: Chemotherapy · Medicare.gov: Prescription drugs (outpatient, Part B). Not medical or financial advice; verify with your plan.
- Appraised for
- Advanced pancreatic cancer
- Notes
- One of the earliest cancer TAs. Generic; funded routinely across pancreatic, bladder, lung, ovarian and breast regimens.
- NHS England
- Routinely funded for the appraised indication (or via managed access)
Sources: NICE TA25 · SMC advice: gemcitabine. Funding decisions are indication-specific and change monthly; verify with NICE and your treating team.
Approvals
| Region | Year | Indication |
|---|---|---|
| US | 1996 | Pancreatic cancer |
| US | 1998 | NSCLC with cisplatin |
| US | 2004 | Metastatic breast cancer with paclitaxel |
| US | 2006 | Ovarian cancer with carboplatin |
Trials
topRecruiting now (live from ClinicalTrials.gov)
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Latest papers
topQuery for this drug: (TITLE:"Gemcitabine" OR ABSTRACT:"Gemcitabine" OR TITLE:"Gemzar" OR ABSTRACT:"Gemzar" OR TITLE:"Infugem" OR ABSTRACT:"Infugem") 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 Gemcitabine, not a curated reading list.
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