Trastuzumab emtansine cost in India: monthly and full-course price

Trastuzumab emtansine, also called T-DM1 or Kadcyla, is one of the more expensive medicines used for HER2-positive breast cancer. It is given as a drip into a vein once every three weeks, and the amount you need is worked out from your body weight. After surgery, when some cancer was still found in the breast or lymph nodes following chemotherapy, the usual plan is fourteen treatments, which takes a little under a year. In advanced cancer it is usually continued for as long as it keeps the cancer under control and side effects stay manageable, so the total can be much higher. We do not publish price figures on this page, because medicine prices in India change with new versions, price revisions, taxes and hospital or pharmacy arrangements, and a number here would soon mislead you. What we can explain is what drives the total. The main factors are your weight, which decides how many vials each dose needs, how many cycles you have, whether your dose is lowered for side effects, and which approved version of the medicine is used. Around the medicine itself there are day-care charges, blood tests before each cycle, heart scans every few months and supportive medicines. Many families reduce the burden through health insurance, employer or government schemes, and patient assistance programmes. It helps to plan for the whole course from the start.

Plan for the whole course

Knowing the likely number of cycles helps you avoid gaps in treatment when money runs short.

Weight changes the dose

Because the dose follows your weight, two people on the same plan can need different amounts.

Talk openly about cost

Your oncologist can only look at alternatives or support if they know cost is a worry.

Cost is a real part of treatment decisions, and it is reasonable to raise it with your team from the first conversation.

It is a significant expense

For many families, a full course of T-DM1 is a major financial commitment, even with insurance.

Prices and schemes change

New versions, price revisions and changes to assistance schemes can alter your costs part-way through treatment.

Unofficial sources are risky

This medicine must be stored cold and prepared carefully. Vials from unlicensed sellers may be fake or damaged by poor storage, and there is no safe way for you to check.

What this page cannot tell you

It cannot tell you today's price, how many vials your dose needs, or what your insurer will pay. Your hospital billing team, pharmacist and insurer can.

Asking these early, and writing down the answers, can prevent difficult surprises several months into treatment.

To your oncologist

How many cycles are planned for me, how much benefit is T-DM1 likely to add, and what would we do if cost became a barrier part-way through?

To the hospital billing team

What is the estimated cost of one cycle at my weight, including day care and tests, and which version of the medicine is stocked?

To your insurer

Are day-care cancer infusions covered, is pre-authorisation needed for each cycle or once, and is there a yearly limit on the policy?

To a social worker or patient support team

Is there a patient assistance programme or trust that could help, and what documents should I prepare now?