Targeted Cancer Medicines in India: Which Medicine Is Used for Which Cancer
By MedZoneAI Editorial Team · Medically reviewed by Neeraj Kathuria, Registered Pharmacist (Reg. No. 3344), AARX Pharmacy, Bhiwadi
Ten years ago, "cancer medicine" in India mostly meant chemotherapy given in a hospital. Today a large part of cancer treatment is a tablet or capsule taken at home: medicines that block one specific signal a cancer depends on (targeted therapy) or that cut off the hormones some cancers feed on (hormone therapy). This guide explains the main medicines of this kind available in India, grouped by the cancer they are used for.
It is written to help patients and families understand a prescription and talk to their oncologist, not to choose a medicine. Which medicine is right depends on the exact type of cancer, its stage, test results and earlier treatment, and only your oncologist can decide that.
Chemotherapy, targeted therapy and hormone therapy: the difference
- Chemotherapy attacks all fast-dividing cells, cancerous or not. That is why it causes hair loss, mouth sores and low blood counts.
- Targeted therapy blocks one particular protein or signal that the cancer cells depend on. It works only if the cancer actually has that target, which is why a test on the tumour or blood usually comes first.
- Hormone therapy lowers a hormone (oestrogen or testosterone) or blocks it from acting, for cancers that grow in response to that hormone.
Targeted and hormone medicines are not "milder chemo". They have their own side effects, often need regular blood tests, and many interact with other medicines.
The test decides the medicine
Before a targeted medicine is prescribed, the oncologist usually orders a test for its target. The common ones:
| Test | Cancer | What a positive result can mean |
|---|---|---|
| ER / PR / HER2 | Breast | Hormone therapy and CDK4/6 inhibitors for ER-positive, HER2-negative disease |
| EGFR mutation | Lung (non-small cell) | EGFR inhibitors such as erlotinib |
| BRCA1 / BRCA2 | Ovarian, breast, prostate, pancreatic | PARP inhibitors such as olaparib |
| BCR-ABL (Philadelphia chromosome) | CML, some ALL | BCR-ABL inhibitors such as dasatinib |
If you have been prescribed a targeted medicine, it is fair to ask which test result it is based on.
Breast cancer
- Anastrozole (Armotraz 1mg): an aromatase inhibitor that lowers oestrogen. Used for hormone receptor-positive breast cancer in women after menopause, both after surgery and in advanced disease.
- Palbociclib (Piciclib 75, 100, 125 mg): a CDK4/6 inhibitor given together with hormone therapy for HR-positive, HER2-negative advanced breast cancer. White cell counts drop in most patients, so a blood count is checked every cycle.
- Everolimus (Rolimus 5, 10 mg): an mTOR inhibitor used with exemestane in advanced HR-positive breast cancer.
- Olaparib (Obparp 100, 150 mg): a PARP inhibitor for BRCA-mutated, HER2-negative breast cancer.
Prostate cancer
Most advanced prostate cancers depend on male hormones, so the main medicines either stop the body making them or block them from acting.
- Abiraterone acetate (Xbira 250, 500 mg): stops the production of testosterone and related hormones. It is always taken together with a steroid such as prednisolone.
- Enzalutamide (Xylutide 40mg) and apalutamide (Proapaci 60mg): block the androgen receptor on the cancer cells.
- Olaparib is also used when the cancer carries certain DNA-repair gene mutations.
- Denosumab 60 mg (Denoci 60, Denoci OP 60): hormone treatment thins the bones over time, and denosumab is used to protect against that bone loss.
Lung cancer
- Erlotinib (Erlocip 100, 150 mg): an EGFR inhibitor for non-small cell lung cancer with an activating EGFR mutation. An acne-like rash is common and is often a sign the medicine is active. Smoking lowers its level in the blood.
- Nintedanib (Nintib 100, 150 mg): mainly a medicine for lung fibrosis (IPF), but it is also used with docetaxel for some advanced lung adenocarcinomas.
Kidney, liver and thyroid cancer
These cancers often respond to multi-kinase inhibitors, which block several growth signals at once, including the ones tumours use to build their blood supply.
- Lenvatinib (Lenvatol 4, 10 mg): used for thyroid cancer that no longer responds to radioactive iodine, for unresectable liver cancer and for advanced kidney cancer.
- Cabozantinib (Cabotres 20, 40 mg): used for advanced kidney cancer, for liver cancer after sorafenib, and for thyroid cancer that has progressed.
- Everolimus is also used in advanced kidney cancer and in neuroendocrine tumours.
High blood pressure is common with both lenvatinib and cabozantinib, so it is worth having a home BP machine during treatment.
Blood cancers
- Dasatinib (Dasatrue 50, 70 mg): blocks the BCR-ABL protein in Philadelphia chromosome-positive chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML), including when imatinib has stopped working, and in Ph-positive ALL. Breathlessness should be reported, because fluid can collect around the lungs.
- Obinutuzumab (Gazyva): an antibody given as a hospital infusion, with chemotherapy, for chronic lymphocytic leukaemia and follicular lymphoma.
Ovarian cancer
- Olaparib is used as maintenance treatment in BRCA-mutated ovarian cancer after a response to platinum chemotherapy, to keep the cancer from coming back.
Supportive medicines used in cancer care
- Denosumab vial (Denoci Injection): protects the bones when cancer has spread to them, lowering the risk of fractures.
- Tocilizumab (Actemra 80, 200, 400 mg): best known for rheumatoid arthritis, but also the standard treatment for cytokine release syndrome, a serious reaction that can follow CAR-T cell therapy.
Living with these medicines: what to watch
- Blood tests are part of the treatment. Many of these medicines lower blood counts or affect the liver, and the doses are adjusted based on those results.
- Interactions are common. Several of these tablets interact with antacids, antibiotics, antifungals, epilepsy medicines, herbal supplements and grapefruit juice. Tell your oncologist and pharmacist about everything you take.
- Do not stop on your own. Rash, diarrhoea or mouth ulcers can usually be managed. Call your oncologist rather than skipping doses.
- Store them as the label says. Biologic injections (tocilizumab, denosumab, obinutuzumab) must stay in the fridge at 2-8°C and must never be frozen.
What these medicines cost
Targeted medicines are expensive, but prices in India have fallen as Indian companies have launched their own versions. Cipla has announced lower MRPs for a large part of its cancer-care range from 9 November 2026, for example Dasatrue 70 mg from ₹8,765.62 to ₹1,858.17 and Erlocip 150 mg from ₹9,798.99 to ₹3,448.37 per pack. You can see the whole range with today's price and the coming MRP in our Cancer Care section.
If cost is making it hard to continue treatment, tell your oncologist. Hospitals often know of patient-support programmes, and sometimes a different brand or pack size helps.