ELIQUIS & Jardiance

Yes, Outrageous

by benedeni - 2024-08-13 21:02:59

Fred, My husband is on Xarelto, also a very expensive drug, and we get his script through Canadian Pharmacy Store. They were recommended by the Cardiologist.  This medication in my U.S.pharmacy would be about $500-$600 a month, using Good RX.  I think the Medicare Plan D is above $100 a month.  I can get the generic, Rivaroxaban, for $45 for 90 days supply.  The one thing you need to be aware of though is once you get set up with them and the doctor faxes up your script, it will take between 3-4 weeks before you actually receive your meds as they are developed in Mauritius, at least the Xarelto is.   Ask your doctor and see if he's onboard with Canadian Pharmacy Store.  Go online to CanadianPharmacyStore.com to price your Eliquis and Jardiance.

Good Luck!

Call the manufacturer

by Lavender - 2024-08-13 21:21:26

Some drugs have discount programs. Call the manufacturer of the drugs. 
 

https://www.eliquis.bmscustomerconnect.com/savings

Jardiance advertises a similar discount online.

eliquis and jardiance

by fredaosss - 2024-08-14 07:14:28

Thank you all very much.

Fred

Just MY Opinion

by docklock - 2024-08-14 11:08:24

I'm gonna stick my neck out and give MY PERSONAL VIEW.

I take 5 Rx drugs -- 1 for cholesterol; 2 for heart; 1 for diabetes and 1 for kidney stones. ALL are generic. I have no co-pay for generic drugs.

In my view (personal only) pretty near every "illness" has been around for some time and most drugs have moved into the generic realm to treat them. Generic drugs are usually quite a bit cheaper than the new "TV drugs" as I call them.

Are some of the new and improved drugs superior - without a doubt some are. 

I have told my doctors every time I get a new drug prescribed -- that it will have to be generic cause I'm not paying half my income for a TV drug. They ALWAYS  find some generic one for me.

I know there are a lot of new cancer treatment drugs, for example, on the market. Some are in the $10 - $15 K range PER MONTH. Here is the US we have a convoluted Rx plan for Medicare that includes our famous "donut hole" which I won't/can't explain fully.

As I said in the beginning of my post - IT IS TOTALLY MY OPINION.

Full disclosure -- my medical background consists of pretty much bandaids and asprins.  

Not trying to influence or sway anyone into doing anything -- It's just MY OPINION. 

Medicare and Patient Assistance Programs for Meds

by Andiek11 - 2024-08-14 14:35:01

Just a heads-up to all those who are on Med A and B (and D).  In 95% of the cases, financial assistance programs sponsored by drug manufacturers exclude anyone who's primary is Medicare.  It is all about legal issues and medicare rules pertaining to getting discounted medications.  (just think gov't red tape and stupidity at its finest).  It is the same convoluted logic that prohibits Medicare from negotiating the costs of meds.

Bottom line, read the fine print carefully.  There may on occasion be an assistance program that accepts Medicare recipients, but don't count on it.  If you still have commerical insurance, if you meet the various manufacturer's financial guidelines (and there is no standardization here.  Each manufacturer can establish their own guidelines) you might qualify.

In my professional capacity I worked with many, many patients who'd run into this catch-22.  And many of them would utimately try the Canadian route. Just be very careful that any non-US pharmacy is legit (and don't trust their own promises... Check them out thoroughly!!)

Buenas Suerte!

Medication insurance

by Julros - 2024-08-14 17:10:21

Different Medicare D policies pay differently. It is well worth it to check with a broker to find the policy that covers most of your meds. Or you can go online to the Medicare site and search for plans. 

Regarding buying generic, there are currently no generic versions of Eliquis or Jardiance available. Warfarin is an older, cheaper anticoagulant, but requires regular blood tests and is inferior to CVA protection compared to Eliquis. Jardiance has been found to decrease the risk of hospitalization and I don't believe there is an equivilent to it. 

It might be better than you think....

by sgmfish - 2024-08-14 17:29:00

Check with your insurers. When you need a high priced med, often the insurer will pay most of the freight ONCE your deductable is met. For example, let's say the med is $500/month, but your insurance deductable is $1000. You would pay the $500/month for 2 months. After that your copay may only be something like $50/month for the rest of the year. Then in January the whole processes is repeated.

Of course your insurance plan may not cover the med at all; in which case you are SOL.

Julros. Eliquis generic

by benedeni - 2024-08-14 18:23:01

I understand there is now a generic for Eliquis, Apixaban.  I don't know if it's available in the states yet but Canadian Pharmacy has it.  Qty 100 cost is $36.99 for 2.5 mg and Qty 100 cost is $41.99 for 5 mg.  

Apixaban generic. Jardiance alternative?

by Gemita - 2024-08-15 03:50:05

Fred, hello from the UK.

Yes Apixaban has lost exclusivity in the UK and there are generic brands available to our National Health Service.  As far as I know (from my hospital pharmacy), generic Apixaban is now the best value (twice a day) DOAC for non-valvular AF at a cost of just under £5 for 60, 2 x 5 mg Apixaban tablets.

Edoxaban is still recommended as the first choice (once daily) DOAC for non-valvular AF and would cost £637 per patient per year.

I take once daily lower dose of Edoxaban 30 mg.  I was initially given therapeutic dose of Apixaban 2 x 5 mg daily but didn’t do so well on this med (it caused stomach distress).  The lower dose of Edoxaban, once daily dose for my low body weight (under 60 kg) is apparently still effective for AF stroke protection and I certainly have no side effects.  My husband (due to age and poor kidney function) is also on Edoxaban 30 mg and tolerates it well too, so you could ask if you would be a candidate for Edoxaban once daily as an alternative to Apixaban?  Might work out cheaper where you are.

As regards Jardiance, an SGLT2 inhibitor, there is no generic available, but there are other SGLT2 inhibitors out there that could be considered instead, such as Brenzavvy.  I would discuss this with your doctors.  These medications help your kidneys get rid of more sugar in your urine by blocking a specific molecule called SGLT2 in the kidney tubes that usually reabsorbs sugar. By blocking this molecule this helps to promote the excretion of glucose in the urine. 

We were told SGLT2 inhibitors were originally designed to treat high blood sugar in patients with type 2 diabetes but that SGLT2 inhibitors like Jardiance are now being offered to treat heart failure patients because in clinical trials they have been shown to reduce the need for hospitalization. 

SGLT2 inhibitors increase the release of a hormone called erythropoietin from the kidneys. Erythropoietin helps the body make red blood cells, which carry oxygen to the heart and help increase the blood's oxygen-carrying capacity.

Brenzavvy appears to cost up to 90% less than Jardiance - see Marley link below.  I have also given an NHS link:

https://www.marleydrug.com/jardiance-alternative#

https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/commissioning-recommendations-for-national-procurement-for-doacs/

Generic Apixaban

by Julros - 2024-08-15 11:27:35

From what I can find online, generic apixaban will likely not be availabe in the US until 2028. It was approved by the FDA in 2019, but court cases have held up manufacturing. 

But on a positive note, the White House has negotiated lower prices for 10 drugs for Medicare recipients, including Eliquis and Jardiance. Unfortunately, those don't take effect until 2026. 

The negotiated price of Elquis is reportedly $231 for a one month supply, still substantially higher than the price in Canada or the UK :( , but better that the current $500.

Eliquis from Cananda

by Figallegro - 2024-08-20 19:39:21

You might take a look at Mapleleafmeds.com.   My wife and use them for very expensive prescription drugs like Eliquis and asthma meds for several years.

Eliquis goes generic eventually

by Prof P - 2024-08-22 18:47:02

The Eliquis patent expires in the US in November 2026 (compliments of a court battle).  Whether generic apixaban will be available soon thereafter might be debatable, but at least it is now on in the top ten of Medicare negotiated druig prices.  Eliquis is at the top of the list of drugs for which Medicare pays at least a portion of the cost.  I would guess that many of us have taken or are taking it every day.