When a drug loses its patent and goes generic, it’s a huge loss for the manufacturer. As people switch to using the cheaper generic forms, drug companies go from making millions off the drug to almost nothing. Because of this, Big Pharma often does whatever it can to preserve these patents. One of the most common methods that drug companies use to do this is to come out with a “new and improved” version of their medication. Usually, these newer versions are nothing more than the old drug wrapped up in a new, fancy package. When this new packaging is combined with deceptive advertising from the drug company, it’s often something your doctor can’t resist. For example, of the top 20 brand name drugs in 2007, almost half of them were these “new and improved” versions of older, cheaper medications. At Mr. MedSaver, one of the methods we use in our Prescription Savings Reports is to make sure people aren’t duped into taking these overpriced medications. We show our customers how to go back to the less expensive (and usually equally effective) generic medications.
Drug companies are getting smarter these days, though, and they’re coming out with these “new and improved” versions of their medications BEFORE the older versions are available as generics. One such company is Cephalon, the manufacture of Provigil. Originally developed for narcolepsy, Provigil is used to keep people awake in various circumstances. Generic Provigil will be available in 2012. Only a few years ago, this would have meant that Cephalon would have come out with a new version of the medication in 2012 as they lost Provigil to generics. But Cephalon is coming out with a new version next year called Nuvigil. Nuvigil (think “New Provigil”) will supposedly be better than Provigil because it will last longer. It hasn’t been released yet, so I know nothing about it. However, with my experience of how these things normally work, Nuvigil will probably only last slightly longer—like 20%-30%.
As if all this behavior wasn’t hideous enough, here’s the real kicker. It’s Cephalon’s goal to make sure anyone on Provigil is switched over to Nuvigil before 2012. In fact, by the time it’s available as a generic, they want to make Provigil an obsolete drug that doctors no longer even think of prescribing. To help make this happen, the manufacturer has been steadily raising the price of Provigil. A month’s supply of Provigil is currently about $350 . . . and that’s just for one tablet a day. Some people need to take two or even three tablets a day. You can see how expensive this is. When Nuvigil is released next year, though, it will actually be priced lower than Provigil. It will work “better” and be cheaper: a win-win situation for everyone! That is, unless you’re on Provigil right now and it costs more than your rent or mortgage payment.
When I formed Mr. MedSaver, it was with the goal to help protect people from this type of unfair drug company manipulation. And let me tell you, right now there are cheaper alternatives available. In fact, let me get a little personal here: my wife currently takes a medication that makes her VERY drowsy throughout the day. To help her not only stay awake, but to also be able to function throughout the day, her doctor prescribed Provigil for her. Even at the low dose that she was prescribed, it would have been over $350 each month. And if she hadn’t been married to me, she wouldn’t have been able to do anything about it. Like many people with expensive medications, she might have simply stopped taking her prescription . . . or maybe she would have taken it every two or three days . . . or maybe she would have taken on a second job to pay for it. And next year, I’m sure her doctor would have switched her to Nuvigil to save her some money. None of this happened, though, because I knew just what to do. I spoke with her doctor, and shared with her the exact type of information we provide in our Prescription Savings Reports. Her doctor changed my wife’s prescription right there on the spot, and it’s now under $30 each month. That’s right . . . an entire year of her new medication will cost less than one month of Provigil.
Drug companies are getting smarter these days, though, and they’re coming out with these “new and improved” versions of their medications BEFORE the older versions are available as generics. One such company is Cephalon, the manufacture of Provigil. Originally developed for narcolepsy, Provigil is used to keep people awake in various circumstances. Generic Provigil will be available in 2012. Only a few years ago, this would have meant that Cephalon would have come out with a new version of the medication in 2012 as they lost Provigil to generics. But Cephalon is coming out with a new version next year called Nuvigil. Nuvigil (think “New Provigil”) will supposedly be better than Provigil because it will last longer. It hasn’t been released yet, so I know nothing about it. However, with my experience of how these things normally work, Nuvigil will probably only last slightly longer—like 20%-30%.
As if all this behavior wasn’t hideous enough, here’s the real kicker. It’s Cephalon’s goal to make sure anyone on Provigil is switched over to Nuvigil before 2012. In fact, by the time it’s available as a generic, they want to make Provigil an obsolete drug that doctors no longer even think of prescribing. To help make this happen, the manufacturer has been steadily raising the price of Provigil. A month’s supply of Provigil is currently about $350 . . . and that’s just for one tablet a day. Some people need to take two or even three tablets a day. You can see how expensive this is. When Nuvigil is released next year, though, it will actually be priced lower than Provigil. It will work “better” and be cheaper: a win-win situation for everyone! That is, unless you’re on Provigil right now and it costs more than your rent or mortgage payment.
When I formed Mr. MedSaver, it was with the goal to help protect people from this type of unfair drug company manipulation. And let me tell you, right now there are cheaper alternatives available. In fact, let me get a little personal here: my wife currently takes a medication that makes her VERY drowsy throughout the day. To help her not only stay awake, but to also be able to function throughout the day, her doctor prescribed Provigil for her. Even at the low dose that she was prescribed, it would have been over $350 each month. And if she hadn’t been married to me, she wouldn’t have been able to do anything about it. Like many people with expensive medications, she might have simply stopped taking her prescription . . . or maybe she would have taken it every two or three days . . . or maybe she would have taken on a second job to pay for it. And next year, I’m sure her doctor would have switched her to Nuvigil to save her some money. None of this happened, though, because I knew just what to do. I spoke with her doctor, and shared with her the exact type of information we provide in our Prescription Savings Reports. Her doctor changed my wife’s prescription right there on the spot, and it’s now under $30 each month. That’s right . . . an entire year of her new medication will cost less than one month of Provigil.
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2 comments:
What is your wife taking, now? I have the same problem. I need Provigil, but the insurance won't pay, and it is WAY TOO EXPENSIVE!
Jill,
This is the type of infomration that we share with our clients at MrMedSaver.com. At MrMedSaver.com, we analyze your medications and their costs. Afterward, you'll receive an easy-to-read Prescriptions Savings Report that you can print off and go over with your doctor.
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