Imbruvica cost

[Professors]

I have cll with a 17p TP53 deletion. I was prescribed Imbruvica which has a $2340 copay. Does anyone know of a cheaper drug? Thank you

[Smith123456]

Medicare part d-which i assume you have-works differently than standard insurance. You pay far more in the first filling-your total yearly co-pay for this is about 12,000 per year.

However it resets every january first. so in january it will start again

medicarehelp.healthpartners...

Most drug providers/hospital staff/doctors offices have no idea how it works. they will see that first co-pay and assume it will be that for every month

[sllincolorado]

I have same markers.

Are you on US private insurance or medicare? I have private insurance through work. Have you spoken with specialty pharmacy that will actually be sending you the drugs? I was going to have a hefty copay -and it ended up being $5 per month. When I switched to acalabrutinib my copay was zero.

Imbruvica - Was on a call with Dr. Wierda from MD Anderson last night. He is now prescribing acalabrutinib instead of imbruvica. Has your doc explained why you are being prescribed ibrutinib not acalabrutnib? I am not questioning your doc at all - just wanted to pass on what I heard from a top specialist.

Anne

[Smith123456 in reply to sllincolorado]

Anne-something you should know for the future=the co-pay cards the manufacturer gives for private insurance-are not allowed under medicare. It has to do with the original rules when medicare part d was first passed. Novel drugs did not exist. Part d has no dollar cap

[Zia2 in reply to sllincolorado]

My CLL doc prescribed Ibrutinib for many reasons but the first is because it has been FDA approved for years, and there is an abundance of research on it, and she said Acala doesn't have either yet. I understand CLL docs disagree about a lot (mine won't use FCR but others do) and we have to make the best choices we can. Not all docs think Acala is better than Ibrutinib.

[lankisterguy Volunteer]

There are several organizations that can help you with copay.

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Probably the easiest is to contact the lls.org

1-800-955-4572 Live Chat on their website: lls.org/

Email forms.lls.org/FormRenderer/...

and ask for a conselor to help you find copay assistance. They will know which is available and funded currently (it changes frequently).

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And alternative is to contact the specialty pharmacy that send you the Ibrutinib. (Avella, Biologics, Diplomat or Onco360)- they often have specialists that can do what LLS.org does.

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The hardest way is to call each of these copay assistance organizations:

rxassist.org/patients/res-c...

businesswire.com/news/home/...

needymeds.org/brand-drug/na...

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If you are on Medicare you should skip the Johnson & Johnson, Abbvie or Pharmacyclics programs and any other for profit drug company that offers discounts,

you should be able to get help from the Non Profits on the list.

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Len

[Smith123456 in reply to lankisterguy]

Len- i get my imbruvica free from that J&J program and i am medicare part d person.

[lankisterguy Volunteer in reply to Smith123456]

That is the loophole that works- (I get my Venetoclax free from Genentech).

It is discounts, copay assitance and rebates that are banned from Medicare.

Len

[johnl]

The johnson & johnson patient assistance program might be able to get you Ibrutinib at no cost to you even if your on Medicare part D. Go to jjpaf.org you can fill out a general questionaire and find out if you likely to be eligible.

[Ellieoak]

Go to PAN.org for help paying for Imbruvica. You can also call the drug company to see what they can do for you. Also needymeds.com. Don’t worry there is help out there. Also make sure your insurance company wouldn’t already pay for it.

[Professors]

I want to thank everyone for their quick response. I have several different people including my Doctor working on financial help. Again, many thanks. God bless you all.

[WinJ3]

You might want to look into some of the trials. Ask your doctor if you qualify for some of the drug trials.

[Jcilom]

I thought the drug manufacturers paid for everyone's cancer medication. They pay for my Ibrutinib and for that of everyone else's chemo treatment. My capsules cost $1000 each and I take three a day. There's no way I could pay that, not even half of it.

[Smith123456 in reply to Jcilom]

are you talking about a trial?

[onu1tadi2]

Imbruciva works for so many. Is this an annual co-pay? Here in Toronto was told by pharmacist the pills cost about 6000 (Cd $)a month. Of course they are included in our gov health plan. But i reduced dose to 2/3 (my oncologist/hematologist said OK) four months ago and no change in bloodwork - still in remission- so i guess now gov only pays 4000 a month for me. For trials they use what they feel sure will work but not all patients are alike. (Now i have fewer symptoms)

[Smith123456 in reply to onu1tadi2]

people under 65 can get a co-pay card from manufacturer that makes co-pay 10 dollars a month. over 65 is medicare part d. Under the original part d law a manufacturer cannot use any kind of inducement to sell their drug. thats the issue with part D that has no cap on drugs. the catastrophe part is 5 percent with no cap.

so imbruvica would be about 12,000 a year. you have to explore the inventive ways to get around this co-pay. there are several. i take both imbruvica and venclexta. I am on medicare part d. at this moment i am getting both drugs free. I periodically have to jump hoops to get these paid. so far getting the drugs either free or co-pays covered has worked.

[bennevisplace]

In the USA is there been any publication comparing the long-run cost of dual therapy Ibrutinib + Venetoclax with monotherapy Ibrutinib?

[Smith123456 in reply to bennevisplace]

are you asking how much they cost in general or a persons out of pocket co=pays?

[bennevisplace in reply to Smith123456]

I meant costs based on the drug producer's list price if there is such a thing.

[Smith123456 in reply to bennevisplace]

search for a drug by name and use awp or a.w.p. or average wholesale price. there are listings. example imbruvica awp

[bennevisplace in reply to Smith123456]

Thanks, but I was trying to get at whole-treatment costs.

The basic premise being that once you start Ibrutininb monotherapy, you're on it for life (or until it stops working and you are switched to another drug); versus dual therapy with an expected time to uMRD of x months.

I realise that any such comparison would be subject to a lot of assumptions, in the absence of mature real-world data, and even then would be a crude average.

[jdolinger]

DO NOT CHANGE FROM IBRUTINIB. It is the drug of choice. If you are in the USA, suggest you look into a grant from PAN. Org. Actually if you get ur Ibrutinib from a reputable cancer center pharmacy they should be filing the grant request for you annually. There are many other sources to help you fund the copay. I have been on it for three years and a friend for seven and have never paid a dime. I get my Ibrutinib from the Lavine Cancer Center Pharmacy in Charlotte, NC. Good luck. Jack O.

[Zia2 in reply to jdolinger]

I pay nothing for Ibrutinib either and the specialty pharmacy at Northwestern filed all the paperwork needed to make that happen, w/o any requests from me. They'll do it annually.

[Goola]

I am in the US. I pay a $10 copay through Avella specialty pharmacy. It was through my oncologist. I am on Medicare w a private ins as my secondary. I feel blessed and wish you affordable solutions.

[Smith123456 in reply to Goola]

your private insurance is working on your co=pay. wish i had a private secondary but no such luck

[jcb98311]

What everyone has said is correct, but to directly explain and answer your question: The first fill takes you all the way through the prescription drug pay tiers to catastrophic coverage. The first payment of the year is what you were charged. Subsequent refills (28 days by the way, not a month) to the end of the year should be ~$650. (Assuming you are on medicare or a private insurance in the US.) Not great, but not $2340 either. You should definitely check out all the programs noted.

[1524]

For my husband it was free from Diplomat. It was based on your income.

[210savannah]

I am in the US i have insurance through the state where I retired as a teacher. I pay $10 a month for Ibrutinib.

[Green202]

Can you please send a picture of your medicine Ibrutinib?