It seems Budesonide is disappearing from pharmacy shelves

coryhub · Post by **coryhub** » Wed May 28, 2014 1:34 pm

I went to see my GI doctor last Thursday to get a prescription for Budesonide and he said I was going to have trouble filling it because the pharmaceutical companies are pulling it in favor of a new drug they are touting. My doctor said, the new drug does not work as well and he is peeved. Sure enough when I went to fill the prescription the store had no pills. They called two other stores for me before they could find one that had 87 pills (not 90) so I sped there and bought them. Has anyone else experienced this?
Also, I took one Budesonide a day for the 10 days I was on vacation and as always it worked well. I would hate to lose this drug to a new one that may not be covered by insurance. Those damn pharmaceutical companies care not about people - only $ !

Post by **tex** » Wed May 28, 2014 9:03 pm

Cory,

That's a bummer, because they're probably pushing Uceris. Uceris sounds like a good idea (because it doesn't become activated until it reaches the colon, so it isn't absorbed into the bloodstream, and it should be better for UC), but I agree with your doctor that it is not as good as Entocort for treating MC and/or Crohn's (because both MC and Crohn's can and often do affect the ileum and other parts of the small intestine).

Tex

nerdhume · Post by **nerdhume** » Thu May 29, 2014 3:42 am

Tex,
I've been taking the Uceris and when I do have any pain it is always low on my right side. Could that mean the ileum is involved and the Uceris doesn't work on it?

coryhub · Post by **coryhub** » Thu May 29, 2014 7:04 am

Tex: that is what my GI said - the new drug was developed more for UC and I have Lymphotic Colitis. I got a copy of my biopsy and saw my IAg was in the normal range - that was good news.
Nerdhume: Is the drug Uceris covered by insurance?

Cory

nerdhume · Post by **nerdhume** » Thu May 29, 2014 7:36 am

coryhub
My insurance (Tricare) covers it and otherwise I couldn't take it because I believe it costs something like $1500 per month.

Post by **tex** » Thu May 29, 2014 10:57 am

Nerdhume wrote:I've been taking the Uceris and when I do have any pain it is always low on my right side. Could that mean the ileum is involved and the Uceris doesn't work on it?

There's a good chance that's the case. A few years ago, doctors looking for MC never bothered to look upstream from the colon (because the disease is inadequately described as a disease of the colon), but more recently, many doctors are beginning to take biopsy samples from the ileum also (provided that the scope will reach that far), and they are finding that the markers of MC also exist in the ileum. In fact, research shows that typically, the patches of inflammation that are associated with ME are more numerous in the right-side colon and the ileum, than in other segments of the colon (for most patients).

That's why I would hate to see Entocort pushed off the pharmacy shelves, to make room for a newer (and naturally more expensive) drug. The fact that the patents on Entocort have run out (allowing the sale of legal generic forms) is another incentive for drug manufacturers to promote Uceris to the detriment of Entocort. And sadly (from the patient's viewpoint) the price of the generic versions of Entocort are still grossly overpriced (which can only be attributed to the sheer greed of the manufacturers).

For example, AstraZeneca manufactures both the original Entocort EC, and a generic version. The generic version is the same identical product as the name brand version — the only difference is the packaging. And the price is discounted only slightly. With that kind of example, why would competitors be inclined to price their product significantly lower? They simply follow the lead and price the product at whatever the market will bear (not based on the cost of production, which is quite low).

Tex

Sheila · Post by **Sheila** » Thu May 29, 2014 7:40 pm

Cory, if you can't find budesinide in your local pharmacy, ask your doctor to write an RX for a compounding pharmacy. My GI doctor does that for a patient without insurance. It is under $90. A month.

Sheila W

Post by **tex** » Thu May 29, 2014 8:32 pm

Sheila wrote:Cory, if you can't find budesinide in your local pharmacy, ask your doctor to write an RX for a compounding pharmacy. My GI doctor does that for a patient without insurance. It is under $90. A month.

Sheila W

Now that's downright awesome information.

Many thanks for sharing that.

Tex

nerdhume · Post by **nerdhume** » Fri May 30, 2014 2:44 am

Tex,

The fact that the patents on Entocort have run out (allowing the sale of legal generic forms) is another incentive for drug manufacturers to promote Uceris to the detriment of Entocort

I have heard of a pharmaceutical company changing only one of the inactive ingredients and renaming the drug to apply for a new patent.
Also the same drug is priced very differently in different countries.