New Thyroid Cancer Treatments: Latest Advances and How to Access Them?

Thyroid cancer develops from the cells of the thyroid gland. It is one of the fastest-growing cancer diagnoses worldwide. For the most part, it can be treated, especially if diagnosed early. However, advanced or refractory cases may need newer strategies for treatment.
There are different types of thyroid, and their treatment options differ based on Subtype, stage, and molecular profile.

Major Types of Thyroid Cancer:

• Papillary Thyroid Cancer (PTC) – Most common and generally slow-growing

• Follicular Thyroid Cancer (FTC) – The second most common; slow, but may metastasize to lungs or bones.

• Medullary Thyroid Cancer (MTC) – Occurs from C-cells and may be genetic

• Anaplastic Thyroid Cancer (ATC) – Rare but aggressive and difficult to treat

• Poorly Differentiated Thyroid Cancer (PDTC) – Rare and more aggressive than PTC or FTC

The standard treatment methods include surgery, radioactive iodine (RAI), and thyroid hormone therapy. Recent advancements are making a difference for particularly challenging cases. Some types of thyroid cancers now have available targeted therapies. There is new hope for patients with RAI-refractory or metastatic thyroid cancer because of kinase inhibitors. These treatments improve life expectancy and help slow the spread of cancer.

Standard Treatments for Thyroid Cancer:

Most treatment plans are developed around the disease’s type and stage. The common approaches are the following:

• Surgery – Total or partial thyroidectomy (lobectomy) to cut out a section of the thyroid gland
• Radioactive Iodine (RAI) – Administered in the form of radioactive iodine (RAI) to eliminate any remaining thyroid cells following surgery. (Effective mainly in papillary and follicular thyroid cancer)
  Thyroid Hormone Therapy – Acts by retarding TSH secretion and replacing deficient thyroid hormones
  External Beam
• Radiation Therapy (EBRT) – Used for patients where surgery is not an option, or when the cancer comes back after treatment.
• Chemotherapy – Mostly used in anaplastic or refractory cases, and even then, is usually unsuccessful.

Newly Approved & Promising Thyroid Cancer Medicines:

Recent advancements have introduced targeted therapies, BRAF inhibitors, RET inhibitors, and multi-kinase inhibitors (MKIs) with good outcomes in advanced, progressive, or treatment-resistant thyroid cancers:

Selpercatinib (Retevmo):

• Type: RET Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitor
• Indication: RET fusion-positive thyroid cancer and medullary thyroid cancer with RET mutations
• Mechanism: Selectively blocks RET-driven signaling to stop the growth of the tumor
• Approval: FDA-approved for advanced RET-driven thyroid cancers

Pralsetinib (Gavreto):

• Type: RET Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitor
• Indication: RET-altered thyroid cancers (including medullary and RET fusion-positive)
• Mechanism: Blocks RET mutations/fusions that drive tumor progression
• Approval: FDA-approved for RET-mutated or RET fusion thyroid cancers

Lenvatinib (Lenvima):

• Type: Multi-Kinase Inhibitor (VEGFR, FGFR, PDGFR)
• Indication: RAI-refractory differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC)
• Mechanism: Inhibits tumor angiogenesis and proliferation pathways
• Approval: Approved by FDA, EMA, and PMDA

Sorafenib (Nexavar):

• Type: Multi-Kinase Inhibitor
• Indication: Progressive, RAI-refractory differentiated thyroid cancer
• Mechanism: Inhibits tumor cell signaling and angiogenesis
• Approval: FDA-approved for advanced thyroid cancer

Dabrafenib (Tafinlar) + Trametinib (Mekinist):

• Type: BRAF and MEK Inhibitor Combination
• Indication: BRAF V600E-mutated Anaplastic Thyroid Cancer (ATC)
• Mechanism: Blocks BRAF/MEK pathway involved in cell growth and division
• Approval: FDA-approved for ATC with confirmed BRAF V600E mutation

Cabozantinib (Cometriq):

• Type: Multi-Kinase Inhibitor
• Indication: Progressive, metastatic medullary thyroid cancer (MTC)
• Mechanism: Inhibits RET, MET, VEGFR2, and other kinases
• Approval: Approved for advanced MTC

Vandetanib (Caprelsa):

• Type: RET and EGFR Inhibitor
• Indication: Symptomatic or progressive MTC
  Mechanism: Inhibits RET, VEGFR, and EGFR pathways to slow tumor progression
• Approval: FDA-approved for locally advanced or metastatic MTC

Selumetinib:

• Type: MEK Inhibitor
• Indication: RAI-refractory thyroid cancer (under investigation in some countries)
• Mechanism: Restores RAI uptake by inhibiting the MEK pathway
• Approval: Investigational in thyroid cancer but approved in other indications

Pazopanib (Votrient):

• Type: Multi-Kinase Inhibitor
• Indication: Advanced, progressive, or RAI-refractory thyroid cancers (off-label)
• Mechanism: Inhibits VEGFR, PDGFR, and c-Kit pathways
• Approval: Used off-label for thyroid cancer in selected cases

Everolimus (Afinitor)

• Type: mTOR Inhibitor
• Indication: Advanced RAI-refractory thyroid cancers (off-label use)
• Mechanism: Targets the mTOR pathway to reduce tumor cell proliferation
• Approval: Approved for other cancers; sometimes used off-label in thyroid cancer

These therapies have significantly improved disease control and survival outcomes, particularly in radioactive iodine-refractory (RAI-R) or genetically mutated thyroid cancers.

Accessing New Thyroid Cancer Treatments in India and Other Countries:

In so many countries, access to newly approved medicines, including thyroid cancer medicines, may be delayed because of regulatory approvals or lack of availability. This can present a major hurdle for patients in urgent need of any medicine. This is where Indian Pharma Network (IPN) offers its services.

As the largest Indian company in Named Patient Supply, IPN facilitates access to hard-to-get or internationally approved thyroid cancer medicines through legal and compliant channels.

Whether you need Lenvima, Nexavar, Retevmo, Gavreto, or Tafinlar + Mekinist, IPN helps patients, doctors, and hospitals navigate global access ethically, securely, and quickly.

If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with thyroid cancer and urgently needs access to a newly approved or investigational treatment not available in your country, Indian Pharma Network (IPN) is ready to support you. Contact us to explore your Thyroid cancer treatment options today.

Disclaimer: This blog is formulated to help readers gather information only. It does not offer medical advice. Always discuss your medication and treatment options with your oncologist first.