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Where do you get your Viread in USA?
This question is for those taking Viread in USA - where do you get it?
I got my first 30 day pills from Walgreen. With coupon and co-pay, it ends up about $9/per pill out of my pocket.
However, if I search it online for generic Tenofovir, it only costs about $2/per pill (no prescription needed), as seen linked below:
http://onlinemdstore.com/buy/tenofovir
http://www.pharmacychecker.com/generic/price-comparison/tenofovir+disoproxil+fumarate/300+mg/
My doctor suggested me to stick with the brand name (Viread), not generic, just to be safe.
How do you do it? Do you have a reliable source & supplier that has been approved to be safe and same effective as the brand name Viread? Thank you.
I got my first 30 day pills from Walgreen. With coupon and co-pay, it ends up about $9/per pill out of my pocket.
However, if I search it online for generic Tenofovir, it only costs about $2/per pill (no prescription needed), as seen linked below:
http://onlinemdstore.com/buy/tenofovir
http://www.pharmacychecker.com/generic/price-comparison/tenofovir+disoproxil+fumarate/300+mg/
My doctor suggested me to stick with the brand name (Viread), not generic, just to be safe.
How do you do it? Do you have a reliable source & supplier that has been approved to be safe and same effective as the brand name Viread? Thank you.
you have just to think that tdf and taf are the same chemical active on hbv, so no real difference on hbv
Some recovery of TCell function was already reported even after lamivudine therapy by Carlo Ferrari many years ago. But in the majority of cases this immunity improvement is too limited to effect enough cccDNA clearance to lead to hbsag loss and seroconversion.
So would it be fair to say whilst the replication is inhibbited by TDF or TAF or whateverv NUC it leaves the immune system in a stronger position to destroy infected cells?
It is quite correlated with cccDNA loss. In a small percentage of patients the reduction of constant overstimulation of the immune responses can lead to a recovery of Tcell responses that will selectively eliminate infected cells. But it is not a direct effect of replication inhibition.
Ok. So how comes in some few cases using Tenofivir HBSAG loss is experienced alongside the production of Surface anti bodies? Does this hold any correlation to the CCCDNA?
Because in the end TAf produces inside the hepatocytes the same Tenofovirdiphosphate that acts as an HBV replication inhibitor, or Polymerase inhibitor. The reason that there is only a small effect on hbsag lies in the fact, that the number of infected cells with cccDNA is not dramatically reduced, due to the still remaining replication and reinfection.
the advantage of TAF will be that much smaller doses will be needed to achieve the same HBV replication reducing effect with lesser exposure of the non liver organs to tenofovir.
the advantage of TAF will be that much smaller doses will be needed to achieve the same HBV replication reducing effect with lesser exposure of the non liver organs to tenofovir.
i saw my hep doc today and we were talking about TAF. He is currently one of the docs running trial for TAF on hep b, but that is all he would tell me. He said they are still in trials.
The approval for TAF for HIV is close , but it will be only for a coformulation with other HIv drugs, so it will be useless for HBv patients. No HIV mono formulation is currently in sight.
for HBV, TAF is likely to be approved sometime in 2017 or 2018 and at the higher dose of 25 mg, since it is not coformulated with an absorption enhancer.
for HBV, TAF is likely to be approved sometime in 2017 or 2018 and at the higher dose of 25 mg, since it is not coformulated with an absorption enhancer.
Funny you mentioned TAF being approved for HIV and not Hep B. I'm on the clinical trial for TAF vs TDF (unsure of which I have at the moment, should find out soon before I am switched to TAF definitely. I only have Hep B, thank God. But my doctor told me 2 months ago that this new formula was VERY close to being approved and could be done so by the end of the year. Of course, that can change at any time. Next time I am there, I will talk with him, etc.
Oh, and I also read that when TAF gets approved it will only be for HIV, similar to when TDF got approved at first (FDA approval for HBV came years later). You may be able to buy TAF 'off label', meaning your doctor may write the prescription so it will be legal for you to buy, but it will be hard to get any insurance company to pay for off label medication. I would think TAF in time will be approved for HBV too , just like Viread has. When TAF becomes approved it will come with that patent that Viread has now. No big surprise I read that TAF is said to get FDA approved around the time Viread's patent ends.
Personally, I feel it's a big game the drug company uses to continue to make more money. Gilead knows Viread will be available as Generic in the near future, so they have to have a new Brand up and coming with TAF. Of course, they are already touting lower sides with TAF so consumers are already wanting it.....with a hefty price take for us in the U.S.
Personally, I feel it's a big game the drug company uses to continue to make more money. Gilead knows Viread will be available as Generic in the near future, so they have to have a new Brand up and coming with TAF. Of course, they are already touting lower sides with TAF so consumers are already wanting it.....with a hefty price take for us in the U.S.
Life Stef pointed out, after patent expires it will be much cheaper. The drug does not go away and we will not be forced onto something else. Patent expiring is a good thing.
A further insight to the way the U.S. works.....In the U.S. with a patent a drug can only be Brand, which usually corresponds to a Tier 3, Tier 4, or Tier 5.....high copay and many times a Prior Authorization is needed. When a patent expires, companies can file to produce the same drug as Generic, which usually come with a Tier 1 or Tier 2 copay and Prior Authorization may not be needed. When this happens one can try and opt for the Brand still (some feel generics are not as good even though the main ingredient has to be the same in both). Once a generic comes approved most U.S. insurance companies will 'force' an insured to use Generic, unless that person/doctor can prove the Brand medication is needed.
Also, as far as Interferon goes in the U.S. Since it is non pill and is injected, if one is on Medicare this drug falls under Part B Medical and not the Prescription Drug plan. This can be a good or not so good thing, depending on your plan. Furthermore, non-Medicare has interferon usually as a Tier 4 or 5 copay and requires Prior Authorization, meaning that even if your Doctor will prescribe it your insurance company may not pay. I recently read that Interferon may not have a Generic even after patent expiring, due to companies not wanting to invest the large amounts of money it takes to manufacture injected or infused medication. As much as I dislike the rules and limitations of the insurance companies, I do this for a living as an Insurance Broker.
With all of us in the U.S. that have to put up with the bureaucracy of the drug companies and insurance companies I often wonder when/if something better comes along if traveling to Mexico would benefit us?
A further insight to the way the U.S. works.....In the U.S. with a patent a drug can only be Brand, which usually corresponds to a Tier 3, Tier 4, or Tier 5.....high copay and many times a Prior Authorization is needed. When a patent expires, companies can file to produce the same drug as Generic, which usually come with a Tier 1 or Tier 2 copay and Prior Authorization may not be needed. When this happens one can try and opt for the Brand still (some feel generics are not as good even though the main ingredient has to be the same in both). Once a generic comes approved most U.S. insurance companies will 'force' an insured to use Generic, unless that person/doctor can prove the Brand medication is needed.
Also, as far as Interferon goes in the U.S. Since it is non pill and is injected, if one is on Medicare this drug falls under Part B Medical and not the Prescription Drug plan. This can be a good or not so good thing, depending on your plan. Furthermore, non-Medicare has interferon usually as a Tier 4 or 5 copay and requires Prior Authorization, meaning that even if your Doctor will prescribe it your insurance company may not pay. I recently read that Interferon may not have a Generic even after patent expiring, due to companies not wanting to invest the large amounts of money it takes to manufacture injected or infused medication. As much as I dislike the rules and limitations of the insurance companies, I do this for a living as an Insurance Broker.
With all of us in the U.S. that have to put up with the bureaucracy of the drug companies and insurance companies I often wonder when/if something better comes along if traveling to Mexico would benefit us?
tdf works so well that i would change only when they prove taf is more potent on hbsag or if i have sides effects on kidneys
What happens after that?
we are all waiting that time, it changes that any company can produce tenofovir and price will lower to very low.also peginterferon should be close to patent exp
big US companies are not interested to produce without a patent with low prices and competition so the biggest generic drug producers in the world, which are in india, will sell their tenofovir anywhere
we are all waiting that time, it changes that any company can produce tenofovir and price will lower to very low.also peginterferon should be close to patent exp
big US companies are not interested to produce without a patent with low prices and competition so the biggest generic drug producers in the world, which are in india, will sell their tenofovir anywhere
My biggest concern is that the patent expires in 2017. What happens after that? Will we not be able to get this medication any more? Can they switch us to something else? I do know that I am on a clinical trial for the new formula, so I am hoping the new formula gets approved so they can continue to use this for treatment beyond 2017... of course, praying for a cure as well!
When and if you have the option to change insurance companies I would shop around. Different insurance companies have different formularies, tiers, copays even for the same medications. I believe the patent for Viread is up in 2017 and may or may not be able to extend this date. Until then us in the U.S. only have the brand as an option. I have heard of others buying for much cheaper online, but if you ask any U.S. Doctor they will not endorse it. Sorry I couldn't help with the coupon but hopefully this added information may help somewhat. Good luck.
Yes, that is the coupon I used. But it only saves you $300. The original price is more than $800. With insurance, I saved total about $500 - I still have to pay $380 (about $9/per pill).
Looks like no one uses generic TDF yet in USA.
Looks like no one uses generic TDF yet in USA.
What coupon did you use? If you didn't use the My Access coupon follow this link, it should help. It can be used with insurance (non Medicare).
http://www.viread.com/en/my_access.aspx
http://www.viread.com/en/my_access.aspx
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