Zanubrutinib: previously treated CLL/SLL and other blood cancersThe same long-term targeted medicine,
at a lower published price in China.
For the same 80mg × 120 capsules, the calculated Chinese cost of 30 days' drug consumption is approximately ¥10,007, versus a UK list price of £4,928.65 excluding VAT. Years and pricing bases differ; neither is a current quote. If previously treated CLL/SLL requires ongoing medication, consider this drug cost difference alongside supply and follow-up in your long-term self-funded plan.
Free initial service consultation · Understand your options and budget before you travel
- China: calculated cost for 80mg × 120 capsules
- RMB 10,006.80 (published in 2026)
- UK: list price for 80mg × 120 capsules
- £4,928.65 excluding VAT (May 2025 price information)
Prices are not current international patient quotes. NICE is cited only for pricing, not as the Chinese label. ALPINE compared against ibrutinib and does not support switching after BTK resistance. View the evidence
China: calculated per capsule from Tungwah's published 2026-06-26 price. UK: May 2025 list price excluding VAT and before NHS discounts. Neither is a current quote; buying whole bottles in China costs a different amount. View sources
Long-term oral treatment with more room in your monthly drug budget
When medication is needed long term, published price differences for the same drug and quantity become more relevant. Whether a switch is appropriate, supply can continue and follow-up is available also determines whether the budget is workable.
Compare costs by long-term drug consumption
At 320mg daily, 30 days' consumption is approximately RMB 10,007. The Chinese published pack contains 64 capsules; buying two bottles costs RMB 10,673.92. The calculated consumption cost is not the checkout price.
Balance disease control and tolerability
ALPINE showed better progression-free survival and fewer cardiac adverse events than ibrutinib. Patients with established BTK resistance must not use this as a reason to switch medication themselves.
Approximately RMB 10,007 per 30 days: calculate consumption, then whole-bottle purchases
Chinese figures use 320mg daily for fully self-funded foreign patients without insurance or assistance. Alongside them is NICE's published UK list price for the same 80mg × 120 capsules. Long-term budgets must also include tests, consultations and travel.
- China: Tungwah Hospital, 80mg × 64 capsules
- RMB 5,336.96 per bottle (2026-06-26)
- China: calculated for 80mg × 120 capsules
- RMB 10,006.80, calculated per capsule for 30 days' consumption
- UK: pack of 80mg × 120 capsules
- £4,928.65 excluding VAT; NICE cites the May 2025 BNF price
- China: 2 whole bottles, totalling 128 capsules
- RMB 10,673.92, leaving 8 capsules
- Tests, consultations and travel
- Additional; to be confirmed
Neither figure is a current international patient quote. The UK list price excludes confidential NHS discounts; 120 capsules is not Tungwah's published pack size. No currency conversion or savings percentage is calculated. NICE TA1081 concerns previously treated mantle cell lymphoma; only its drug price is cited here, not the Chinese indication label or evidence of CLL efficacy.
Finding treatment that fits you
starts with the reports you already have.
Clarifying your disease type and previous treatment helps establish whether this option could form part of a plan for you.
- Focus of this pagePreviously treated adults with CLL/SLL; starting or switching treatment depends on symptoms, progression and risk stratification.
- Other approved uses in ChinaMonotherapy also covers previously treated mantle cell lymphoma and adult Waldenström macroglobulinaemia. Combination with obinutuzumab covers relapsed or refractory follicular lymphoma after at least two lines of systemic treatment.
- Previous BTK inhibitorsDistinguish intolerance from resistance; do not substitute medicines yourself simply because both are oral treatments.
Longer disease control, with attention to long-term cardiac tolerability
ALPINE compared zanubrutinib with ibrutinib in previously treated CLL/SLL. The final 2022 PFS analysis had a median follow-up of 29.6 months. Results cannot be directly applied to switching after BTK resistance.
- Treatment continues until
- Disease progression or unacceptable toxicity
- Cardiac safety
- Fewer cardiac adverse events than with ibrutinib; monitoring remains necessary
- Number enrolled
- 652 patients
- 24-month progression-free survival
- 78.4% versus 65.9%
- Hazard ratio for progression or death
- 0.65 (95% confidence interval 0.49–0.86)
Oral treatment does not mean low risk or that treatment can stop after a fixed course.
You do not need to book flights first.
Clarify treatment and costs before you travel.
Tell us your diagnosis, previous treatments and main concerns. We help you communicate about Shanghai consultation requirements, budgets and travel arrangements.
- Provide blood, bone marrow or lymph node pathology and flow cytometry reports to confirm the disease subtype
- Bring TP53, del17p and available molecular tests to support risk stratification
- List previous medicines and reasons for stopping chronologically, distinguishing intolerance from resistance
- Prepare blood counts, liver and kidney function and all concurrent medicines to assess safety and interactions
Start the first conversation with the records you already have.
You do not need to arrange new tests yourself for an initial consultation.
Get answers to the questions that matter to you
before you travel.
Costs, potential benefit and further treatment deserve specific answers before departure.
Will my actual monthly medication purchase cost about RMB 10,007?
No. RMB 10,006.80 is the calculated consumption cost for 120 capsules over 30 days at 320mg daily. Tungwah's published price on 2026-06-26 was RMB 5,336.96 for 80mg × 64 capsules. Two bottles containing 128 capsules cost RMB 10,673.92 and leave 8 capsules. This is a fully self-funded reference without insurance or assistance, not a current international patient quote; tests, consultations and travel are additional.
Can I stop treatment myself when the disease improves?
No. Treatment usually continues until progression or unacceptable toxicity. A haematology team must plan stopping or dose reductions; oral medication is not a fixed course after which it can simply be stopped.
Which risks need attention during long-term treatment?
Risks include infection, reduced blood cell counts, bleeding and arrhythmias. Anticoagulants and some anti-infective medicines may affect safety; give the team a complete medication list.
How can I judge whether total costs in China are worthwhile?
Compare medication, follow-up, medicine-carrying rules and transport costs together. The UK £4,928.65 figure is the May 2025 list price for the same quantity, excluding VAT and confidential NHS discounts, not actual payment. If affordable supply is already available at home, cross-border care may not cost less overall.
Can previously untreated patients also use it?
Chinese CLL/SLL approval covers both previously untreated and treated adults. The ALPINE results on this page concern previously treated patients and cannot be directly treated as first-line efficacy. Starting or switching treatment requires assessment of symptoms, progression and risk stratification.
Make long-term medication part of a plan you can sustain.
Starting with your condition and budget, we help communicate about consultations and treatment arrangements in Shanghai.
The initial service consultation is free; the treating doctor assesses your specific medical plan.
Sources and image credits
Information is compiled from public approval documents, studies and prices and does not replace an individual medical assessment. Research and cost figures each have a defined scope; published prices are not personal international patient quotes. Costs are discussed on a self-funded basis without Chinese health insurance or free-drug assistance.
- National Healthcare Security Administration: 2025 zanubrutinib submission (labelled indications and dosing) · Verified 2026-10-03
- NEJM original paper: final ALPINE PFS analysis · 2022-12-13
- Dongguan Tungwah Hospital drug price publication (original official table) · 2026-06-26
- Institute of Hematology and Blood Diseases Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences: Qiu Lugui · Verified 2026-10-03
- Chinese Medical Association: 2023 candidate project announcement and ALPINE participants · Verified 2026-10-03
- Australian eviQ: zanubrutinib regimen and safety monitoring · Verified 2026-10-03
- NICE TA1081, sections 2.3–2.4: list price for 120 × 80mg capsules and confidential NHS discount (BNF accessed May 2025) · 2025-07-10
- NICE TA1081 web page: dose, packaging, price and mantle cell lymphoma indication scope · 2025-07-10