This Is MS Multiple Sclerosis Knowledge & Support Community

With Antegren around the corner, any ideas what the cost is going to be? I have heard as much as $30,000-$40,000 a year! I guess only time will tell, but for that kind of money, it better work!

Tara

Wow! I had no idea it cost that much but I'm not surprised. My neuro says that I need this drug NOW! So I'm just playing the waiting game trying to put off Novantrone.
I just hope it works. Didn't we just go thru a bunch of hype with Rebif? It was supposed to be sooo much better! It didn't work for me. The liver thing got me off of it.
There's always hope. Never give up no matter what the cost is.

Sorry, time to leave the board.

-finn

Didn't we just go thru a bunch of hype with Rebif? It was supposed to be sooo much better! It didn't work for me. The liver thing got me off of it.


I wouldnt say Rebif was a bunch of hype. It showed to be more effective than Avonex in clinical trials. It has helped me alot. Too bad about the liver elevation, did you try to reduce the dose?

Rebif and Avonex are the same molecule. In fact, back in 1996 Serono sought to use Avonex trial data to justify approval of Rebif. The FDA said no and cited orphan protection. But both sprung from Rentschler - Biogen lost exclusivity because (as I remember it) they did not meet terms of license in some way.

They are dosed differently, which results in more frequent side effects for Rebif - but both result in roughly the same efficacy, side effects and level of neutralizing antibodies.

Hi, Meadow!

It looks like I'm posting to your comments once again! I say "ditto" to your post.

I've heard from some patients that they were told by their NEUROS that Rebif was somehow the "strongest" of the interferons, etc. Maybe in dosage amount, as you mentioned, but not in efficacy (at least to my knowledge)! I'm happy to see that someone else came to the same conclusion about that that I did.

I always thought that was an odd thing for any neuro to tell their patients about Rebif.

Deb

Deb,

I think that having Rebif on the market is a good thing: keeps Biogen honest and may result in alternative dosing that is more attractive to some MS patients (more frequent SC v. deep IM injections.) Right now, INFb is the best treatment out there - at least for another month until Antegren is approved - and if having Rebif on the market serves to keep a lid on price increases and gets more patients on helpful medication then I am in favor.

Regards,

MeadowStream

What's that saying? Oh, what a troubled web we weave...........

Yes, I'm all for having as many options for treatment and/or therapy as possible out there for MS. I just wish there was something more for progressives. *sigh*

Deb

As far as approval goes, i do think that this drug will be approved late November 2004 or early December 2004. I talk with the Biogen Rep from
time to time and things are sounding good.

Here is a story off of the CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation) website which is quoting a price of $20,000 Canadian ($17,000 US) for Tysabri.

Drug costs tend to be lower in Canada. We have Americans coming up all the time for prescription medications. The amount they save more than pays for their trip and they get to spend some time in our wonderful country. If you have a choice, come to British Columbia who's tourism slogan is "The Best Place on Earth"

Here is the link:

http://www.cbc.ca/story/science/nationa ... 41122.html

Here is Elan's pricing info for Tysabri:

http://www.elan.com/Products/tysabri/pricing.asp

Sounds like a lot of money, will be interesting to see what my insurance says. Plus, I'd really like to do Rebif + Tysabri, kind of hedging my bets.

If I were the insurance company, that would be a scary proposition indeed.

Well, my best friend went to a new neurologist, and for right now, he wont' prescribe the ldn, but he is starting her on antegren (tysabri), and she was concerned about the cost, cause i told her what i had been reading on here.
she also doesn't have the best insurance (so she thought), but they called the other day and told her, as long as she had it done at her dr's office, she only has to pay the $20 co pay.

How crazy is that???? Now, only if it works, Im saying a little prayer for her.

that's great news! Sometimes insurance truly pays off... literally!

it would also be wonderful if you could get your friend to post her experience with Tysabri when she has her first infusion (or proxy for her).

Thanks Arron,

My best friend does not own a computer, but I will most definitely post her process for you guys...I have kind of become her ms advocate, I got her the info on the ldn, and she couldn't get it, but we have a guy in our church, who is really bad off, and his dr prescribed it, so he's only been onit for a week, so when i see him this week, i will post his results on the ldn portion of the forum.

Peggy