Rituximab in the USA - Dr. Kogelnik

[Snow Leopard]

A few years ago they were claiming 500mg of the generic drug would be marketed at about $700US in India, this shows you how low the price can go when it becomes generic.

 

[Fred1234567]

Hi Kati thanks for your help you and your bog are an inspiration and I am following you avidly and hoping with all my heart that you are a responder. Thank you for letting me know your dosage- that is scary. I was told that the dosage that would be used for ME would be the lower dose as per the lymphoma dosage.

Do you need 2 vials each infusion? Are you given an other drugs?
Unfortunately Genetech doesn't sell drugs in Australia I am thinking about trying to buy them in India???
My income is negative so if in the USA I'd qualify for hardship but I'm too ill to get there even if everything else worked out!!!

 

[Fred1234567]

A few years ago they were claiming 500mg of the generic drug would be marketed at about $700US in India, this shows you how low the price can go when it becomes generic.[/quote

 

[Fred1234567]

Roche is going to start manufacturing in India in March 2013 (when off patent) and there is a "generic" drug being made in India by Dr Reddy - Reditux but it is not clear that it is exactly the same as rituximab. Roche has just signed up with an Indian company to start making Rituximab in India in March 2013.

What kills me is the initial high cost of the drug followed by the high retail mark up!!!!

Has anyone imported rituximab from India? Israel? - both these look about the same price as wholesale in Australia without the huge retail/hospital mark up?

 

[Fred1234567]

Thanks Kati

I am following your blog with hope for a responder outcome for you and gratitude that you are sharing your journey with the world. We owe you big time for your generosity.

Thanks for the dosage information I had no idea that 1000 mg was required nor does my oncologist (yes I have an oncologist!!!!! ). That has just doubled my drug budget !!!!

Are you on any other drugs?? Is the 1000 mg i.e. 2 vials every infusion?

A bit more to be sorted before I actually start being INFUSED...I can't believe that I am managing this disease via the internet and word of mouth from other sufferers rather than the medical profession!!!

Nevertheless FANTASTIC sites like this one of Cort's and your blog are helping me a lot.

Thank you so much!!!

 

[Snow Leopard]

Roche is going to start manufacturing in India in March 2013 (when off patent) and there is a "generic" drug being made in India by Dr Reddy - Reditux but it is not clear that it is exactly the same as rituximab.

They're both monoclonal antibodies that target CD-20.... Reditux is supposed to be 're-engineered' rituximab or something, but I'm not completely clear on this point.

Keep in mind that Roche gets several billion dollars in revenue per year from Rituximab, so there will be a strong generic market in my opinion..

 

[minerva]

The Genentech (the US distributor of Rituximab) patient reimbursement program is really generous. I don't use it for Rituximab, but for Xolair, an injection drug for chronic urticaria and high IGE. As long as you make under $100k and your insurance denies you for their drug (or you don't have insurance) and your doctor prescribes the treatment, Genentech is unbelievably generous and they have a dedicated staff for the patient access program. It goes really easily -- I have had really good experiences with them. Can't say I understand why they want to give it away so badly!

Good luck!

 

[Kati]

Hi Kati thanks for your help you and your bog are an inspiration and I am following you avidly and hoping with all my heart that you are a responder. Thank you for letting me know your dosage- that is scary. I was told that the dosage that would be used for ME would be the lower dose as per the lymphoma dosage.

Do you need 2 vials each infusion? Are you given an other drugs?
Unfortunately Genetech doesn't sell drugs in Australia I am thinking about trying to buy them in India???
My income is negative so if in the USA I'd qualify for hardship but I'm too ill to get there even if everything else worked out!!!

Hi Fred, for the first 3 infusions I have had 2 full vials. I am not sure what will be done for the next dose. I was expecting to get infusions every 2 months and they have now changed the schedule (they would be Dr K in cunjunction with Mella and Fluge- I assume) - I am pretty much "go with the flow" type of person. It is a real privilege to trial the drug.

My question to you is, where does Australia go for Rituximab? In Canada, we have Roche, they would have sold it to me (with a prescription from a Cdn Dr for 5000$- with a possible 20% discount) but then the Genentech foundation has been very gracious in accepting me for patient assistance.

The dosage would be 500 mg/m2 - I am one who has gained a fair amount of weight with my disease, so my body surface area is over 2.0 m2- they usually cap it at 2.

(for those interested, here is a calculator of your body surface area- http://www.halls.md/body-surface-area/bsa.htm
It is used for most chemo drugs so an accurate amount of chemo is given according to the size of the patient)

 

[Kati]

Thanks Kati

I am following your blog with hope for a responder outcome for you and gratitude that you are sharing your journey with the world. We owe you big time for your generosity.

Thanks for the dosage information I had no idea that 1000 mg was required nor does my oncologist (yes I have an oncologist!!!!! ). That has just doubled my drug budget !!!!

Are you on any other drugs?? Is the 1000 mg i.e. 2 vials every infusion?

A bit more to be sorted before I actually start being INFUSED...I can't believe that I am managing this disease via the internet and word of mouth from other sufferers rather than the medical profession!!!

Nevertheless FANTASTIC sites like this one of Cort's and your blog are helping me a lot.

Thank you so much!!!

Thank you so much Fred- I am hoping to be a responder too- but I am ready for anything, really. One day at a time.
Sorry for delay in answer- I don't necessarily visit every day...

 

[FancyMyBlood]

Somebody referred to a news article about a week ago (unfortunately I can't find it anymore), that said every generic has to go through clinical trials (costs $20-40 million) before it gets approved as 'generic rituximab'. This is standard practice for all biologicals, unlike conventional drugs which are much easier/cheaper to get generic approval. Unfortunately this means costs will probably don't come down that much like with generic statines or antidepressants. But it also made me thinking that maybe some drug companies may have an incentive to do some (small-scale) trials in ME/CFS, because if it's proven effective their generic is the only one that can be prescribed to treat ME/CFS.

 

[Mike]

In Australia on the PBS website it states that the cost of rituximab from the manufacturer is about $2 300 then there is 7.5% wholesaler mark up... which brings the 500 ml vial up to around $2700 per treatment (average person 375 ml per treatment) - the difference between $2700 and what you are charged is the retail pharmacy mark up. Genertech in the USA seems to have a very generous approach to helping people out. Roche is halving the price of Rituximab in South Africa and India...!!!

Do you know about the addresses and names to the doctors that can treat CFS in India or Africa? Thanks for the help!

 

[*GG*]

Do you know about the addresses and names to the doctors that can treat CFS in India or Africa? Thanks for the help!

Co-cure does not have anything listed for India, and only something for South Africa. FYI:

http://co-cure.org/Good-Doc.htm

GG

 

[Mike]

Thanks. Do you know where it would be cheapest to do this rituximab treatment?