Going to GI Tomorrow

[tex]

Gloria,

Hmmmmm. Well, I suppose it could have been worse. At least he's still willing to write the scripts for Entocort.


That was a pretty embarrassing faux pas on his part about the generic form of Entocort. You're right - there is no generic form of Entocort, (or budesonide), on the market, and there won't be, for a while, yet. Budesonide is the active ingredient in Entocort, not the generic form of it. The first patent on Entocort will expire on May 15, 2011, but lawsuits and additional patients for specific uses of it may push the day past 2011. For example, Barr Laboratories is facing a patent infringement lawsuit after filing an ANDA to make a generic version of AstraZeneca’s Entocort enteric-coated (EC) capsules, a treatment for inflammatory bowel diseases. In a complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware, AstraZeneca says it received a letter in early April stating that Barr had filed an Entocort (budesonide) ANDA with a Paragraph IV certification on the product’s ’340 and ’602 patents. Neither patent has expired and both enjoy pediatric exclusivity — the ’340 patent is the one that expires on May 15, 2011, but the ’602 patent will remain valid until Jan. 1, 2015.

Don't pineapples give everyone D? It's very high in sugar, and citric acid. Also, the malic acid content of pineapple is very volatile - it varies depending on sunlight exposure, and water evaporation conditions.

Tex

[Rosie]

I told him that I'll be going on Medicare in a year and I am concerned that I'll have to pay considerably more than the $40 for 180 pills that I'm paying under DH's insurance plan. He really didn't have any response to that. I said that I'm hoping there will be a generic version by then, and he told me that there already was a generic version.

Gloria, I'm a volunteer Medicare counselor, and I checked out what sort of co-pay there is for Entocort this year for the Medicare prescription drug plans. Prepare to be shocked. It's a bit complicated, but here is how it works. The full cost of the drug varies from plan to plan, but is around $800-1200/month. The first 3 months of the year aren't so aren't too bad, as the co-pay is around $60 per month. However, when the full cost of the Entocort adds up to $2700 after about 3 months, then you enter the dreaded "donut hole" where you have to pay the full price until your out-of-pocket costs reach $4,350. After this point, you reach "Catastrophic Coverage", and the monthly co-pay goes back to around $60 per month. If Enterocort were the only drug you were taking, here is how it would break down, using $900 as the full cost of Entocort. Of course this is just a rough estimate, and the coverage for particular drugs changes each year, unfortunately mostly for the worse.....

months 1-3 $60/month
months 4-8 $900/month
months 9-12 $60/month
Total cost for the year $4590

Since the $4350 donut hole limit is for the combined total of out of pocket expenses for ALL drugs you are taking, if you are taking other expensive drugs you will get out of the donut hole earlier in the year.

As for when Entocort goes off patent, that is May of 2011. Here is what I found out about it:

The first patent for Entocort EC currently expires in May 2011. This is the earliest possible date that a generic version of Entocort EC could become available. However, there are other circumstances that could come up to extend the exclusivity period of Entocort EC beyond 2011. This could include things such as other patents for specific Entocort EC uses or lawsuits. Once Entocort EC goes off patent, there may be several companies that manufacture a generic Entocort EC drug.


It's sure a bummer!

Rosie

[Gloria]

Pineapple has always agreed with me, but of course everything is suspect while we're reacting. I think it has ascorbic acid (vitamin C), not citric acid, doesn't it?

I'm down to practically no fruit at all. I've eliminated bananas because I felt pressure all day after eating one. I'll occasionally put strawberries or raspberries on cereal and have been experimenting with blueberries in the past week or so. I don't drink anything but water and Almond-rice milk and have been drinking 1/3 cup of cranberry juice in the morning. That's all the fruit I'm eating, perhaps 1/4 - 1/2 cup a day, and not every day because I'm trying to see if eliminating it makes a difference.

Rosie,
Yikes! I thought the cost would increase, but I had no idea that it would be that much. I didn't realize that the full cost of the drug is what is added to the cumulative total. I guess that seems logical, but it's certainly not like the prescription coverage I enjoy with insurance. I am taking two other drugs, so it would add up very quickly. Thank you for explaining it to me.

Gloria

[tex]

Pineapple is a citrus fruit, believe it or not:

http://www.raysahelian.com/citric.html

I had to eliminate all fruit and all fruit juices when I was recovering.

Tex

[Lucy]

Gloria,
I googled "generic Entecort," and the b-word came up. Looks like that's what they are calling the generic after all, so that will be the generic name.
Interestingly enough, when I did that google, some Canadian mail order site popped up with a list of forms, including the generic form, that could be ordered. I know nothing about the site, and have never ordered anything from Canada, so beware.

Is there any possibility that you could continue on your husband's insurance after age 65?
Luce

[Gas Bag]

Pineapple is a citrus fruit, believe it or not:

http://www.raysahelian.com/citric.html

I had to eliminate all fruit and all fruit juices when I was recovering.

Tex

Me too, fruit is a big no-no, except for bananas.

OMG the cost of drugs on Medicare, who can afford to retire. That is beyond outrageous.

[tex]

Luce,

One of the definitions of the term "generic" is

not protected by trademark registration; nonproprietary

That cannot apply to budesonide, today, because budesonide is most definitely proprietary, until at least May 15, 2011.

You can buy "generic" versions of virtually any drug, on the internet, but there is no telling what they may contain, unless you happen to have "inside" information on the supplier.

Tex

[Gloria]

I must be doing something right because Norman appeared again this morning. I hope it keeps up on my trip.

Lucy,

I think DH will be working another two years, so I should be covered by his insurance until then. I had forgotten that. I hope I am off Entocort by then.

Did you ever see my question asking you what you eat for breakfast? I might have missed your answer. Like Shirley, I'm happy to see you posting again. I used to devour your answers on the old board because you were the only old-timer who still posted. You have no idea how much I appreciated that.

Gloria