MS prescription medications

I am currently looking for insurance, are MS medications available in generics?...what are the best insurance covering them?

[MsmsinFl]

One thing you should know is that if you have MS as a pre-existing condition, you might not be able to get health  insurance, unless you're very lucky & live in a state that has a high-risk pool, or can get it through your employer.  

Otherwise, each insurance plan is different, so you need to look at the Rx coverage for each plan.  The injectible MS meds, as well as the new oral meds, are very, very expensive, but most do have good financial assistance, if you qualify (and each pharma company has different rules for assistance).

So, there's lots of homework to do.

Good luck.  Ask if you have more questions.

[jensequitur]

Unfortunately all the MS medications (the injectable DMDs) are all name-brand only.  There are no generics.  You'll have to get a prescription from the neurologist for your chosen medication.  Then you'll have to order the medication from a pharmacy.

It is possible to get financial assistance from Betaseron and Copaxone.  I was approved for 100% financial assistance with both Copaxone and Betaseron.  Then I had to get my insurance company to recognize that I had financial assistance - that was a pain!

To get it every month, I have to call up my Aetna online pharmacy and get them to send it to me - and remind them that I have financial assistance and don't need to pay for it.  (My copay would be $90.)

[COBOB]

There are generic versions of Copaxone (glatiramer acetate) coming out from Momenta Pharmaceuticals and Mylan.  The FDA rejected a petition from Teva in March which should clear the way for a generic to be made available.

That's about the only one I know of.

Bob

[MsmsinFl]

Rebif also has a program, whether or not you have insurance, with no income requirements -- all you have to do is sign up with MS Lifelines.  maximum monthly cost to you is $50 -- for a med that usually sells for approx $3,000 per month.

You do need to have a prescription.  

[sllowe]

Ladyli,

Hi there- just backing up what's already been said where disease management is concerned. There are not generics. However, there are symptom management generics.

Which specifically are you wondering about?

Hope to help,
~Shell

[MsmsinFl]

One thing you should know is that if you have MS as a pre-existing condition, you might not be able to get health  insurance, unless you're very lucky & live in a state that has a high-risk pool, or can get it through your employer.  

Otherwise, each insurance plan is different, so you need to look at the Rx coverage for each plan.  The injectible MS meds, as well as the new oral meds, are very, very expensive, but most do have good financial assistance, if you qualify (and each pharma company has different rules for assistance).

So, there's lots of homework to do.

Good luck.  Ask if you have more questions.

[sllowe]

Ladyli,

I should clarify. There are no generics "available" at this time for MS disease modifying meds. But, the future looks promising in that regard.
-Shell

[Ladydi15]

   Hi, My name is Dianna and I was diagnosed in Oct 2000....It started Jan 2000 but did not get definitively diagnosed until Oct 15, 2000. Boy, was that a P.I.T.A. and went through so many so called Drs that dont care at all.....I first went to my Epilepsy Dr after having Bronchitis for over a month and had a bad coughing spell and woke up the next morning with my left arm numb and chest pain, went to ER and I could literally feel the tingling run down my left side which is now weaker than my right....My Epilepsy Dr seemed as though he didnt want to have anything to do with the diagnosis that he just turned it around for me to read and it said I had more white plaques on my brain of a woman of my age should have... I went across the street to another one hoping they would care and she was 80% sure I had it so she started me on Beta Seron...I had a few hospital visits in between them getting me a consult at the "supposedly" most reputable hospital in Florida. NOT!!! I then had my appt at Shands and the Dr told me that I didnt have anything that showed I had MS except for my MRI, my Spinal tap was inconclusive so he wrote my Dr in PSL and told her that if he was my doctor, he would take me off of the Beta Seron and watch me.....well, watch me she did.....right into a wheel chair.....I then had a followup with the Shands Dr and he said it was in my head and refused to do another Spinal Tap.....To say the least, I was depressed as all get out and desperate to walk again so went again to another Dr where I lived in PSL and he did every test to see if what I had was actually MS..as in Lymes disease, Sarcardosis, ACE, and Im sure a few others I forget....He then said he was gonna send me to University of Miami's Expert in MS---Dr William Sheremata....He told me I had RRMS going at a rapid pace and I only had 2 choices....Novantrone which is a out-patient Chemo and Cytoxan which is an in-patient Chemo. With all the research he has done, he said Novantrone didnt work as good as Cytoxan so in my desperation I took the month in the hospital with Cytoxan & a wicked steroid called ACTH.....Wow, talk about Roid Rage! LOL
I was so happy after them 30 days, I got to get out and I could walk! Yay....I might have lost my hair but it would grow back and the use of my legs if too far gone wouldnt come back.....
To say the least, I have been to too many doctors and 2 of them have doubts that I have MS just a Vitamin B12 Deficiency from one or Conversion order from the other because I suffer from Major Depression Recurrent from being raped from the age of 4, 5, 6, almost again at 7, abducted at 8, from 9-12 and then again by exes at 25 and 28..
But even the ones that dont see the the MS, the weakness on the left side, etc...put me in for Physical, Occupational and Speech Therapy...Hmmmm I wonder of they get a kick back or something but most Therapist assess you 1st then decide if you need it unless they are getting a kick back too.....lol

[Lulu54]

I asked about the generic version of Copaxone yesterday - my neuro says he will not make the switch for his patients.  He feels there are too many questions about how it will be put together and he's not convinced it will be exactly the same as copaxone.  

He pointed out the irony that TEVA Pharmaceuticals is the world's largest manufacturer of generic drugs and also makes Copaxone.

[sllowe]

Ladidi,

Congratulations on getting your walk back! What an amazing story - it's inspirational. Sorry for all you had to go through but sounds like you eventually got what you so desperately needed.

I believe you are our only Cytoxan user on the forum at this point. We had a member who tried them all in the past, but I've not seen her in a long time.

I hope your story doesn't get missed by the members due to the original question being about the generic meds. If you don't mind me asking - would love for you to copy your last post and start a new post and paste it there - so all can see what you've gone through and how you got to this point.

Your courage to jump into the chemo treatment was brave - I'm couldn't be happier to hear it got you back on your feet.
Nice to have you with us,
-Shell

[ladyili]

Thank you so much for this information...really valuable to me right now to help me decide oninsurance and questions to ask.....THANKS!!!!!!