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Summary of article:
An American engineer went to China to buy medicine for his mother, who is suffering from brain metastases and lung cancer, and relies on suvotinib to control her condition. It also highlighted the gap in access to new medicines between China and the United States and the rise of China’s biotechnology.
The American version of “I am not the God of Medicine” has recently attracted attention. New York engineer Max Doppelt was diagnosed with lung cancer.cancer cells The mother, who had metastases to the brain, made a special trip to China to purchase suvotinib, an anti-cancer drug independently developed and marketed by a Chinese pharmaceutical company. The mother’s condition was under control after taking the medicine. The story sparked heated discussion among Chinese and American netizens.
Doppelt’s mother, Debbie, 60, is a jeweler and was diagnosed with non-small cell lung cancer with a specific gene mutation in late 2023, Observer.com reported. After undergoing chemotherapy and surgery, the cancer cells metastasized to the brain in late 2024, and investigation revealed 10 brain tumors. The targeted drugs available at the time had serious side effects and brain lesions could be difficult to treat; She did not meet the relevant clinical trial conditions, and her treatment once ran into difficulty.
The Washington Post reported that Doppelt later learned that suvotinib might work for the mother’s rare mutation, but it was not available in the United States at the time. The doctor told her that this drug was approved for use in China in 2023, and lamented: “It’s a pity that your mother is not Chinese, otherwise she could have bought the drug directly from Chinese pharmacies.” He immediately obtained the drug through an acquaintance living in China, and a few months later he personally went to Shanghai and spent more than US$10,000 to buy 26 boxes.
According to reports, Debbie has been taking medicine for about 19 months. After combination with radiation therapy and dose adjustment, the brain lesions were largely controlled. but transferabilitycancer Drug resistance may still develop, and it is difficult to determine how long the drugs can control the disease.
U.S. Food and Drug Administration (fda ) Accelerated approval of suvotinib for marketing in the United States in July 2025. However, due to issues such as distribution, insurance benefits, and commercialization processes, patients are still unable to obtain it for a long time. As of October 22, AstraZeneca (AZ) announced that it will officially launch the drug in the United States under the trade name “Zegafrovi”.
Doppelt said at least 30 American patients with similar conditions have gone to China to get the drug. The above cases also reflect the growing status of China’s biotech research and development.
The report projects that China’s share in global early-stage drug research and development projects will increase from 8% in 2015 to 32% in 2024; Over the same period, the United States fell from 48% to 37%. Collaboration between multinational pharmaceutical companies and Chinese biotech companies is moving forward at a time when geopolitical scrutiny is likely to increase. For patients, accelerating the evaluation, approval and delivery of new treatments is key to timely access to treatment.
Summary FAQ
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Because his mother suffered from lung cancer with a specific gene mutation that later metastasized to the brain, the original treatment options were unsatisfactory in terms of efficacy or side effects, so he had to look to suvotinib, which was not yet on the market in the United States but was available in China.
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This targeted drug developed by a Chinese pharmaceutical company may be suitable for the mother’s rare mutation and have a control effect on brain lesions. About 19 months after the mother started taking the drug, with radiotherapy and dose adjustment, the condition was largely controlled.
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This shows that the pace of new drug development and launch in China has increased, and some patients may receive treatment in China earlier; In contrast, even if the FDA expedites approval in the United States, access may still be delayed due to distribution, insurance, and commercialization processes.
