Telaprevir
(Incivek) Patient Assistance Program
SUMMARY
Vertex Pharmaceuticals has started programs to help people
with hepatitis C access its recently approved HCV drug telaprevir. |
On
May 23 the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved telaprevir
(brand name Incivek), the second direct-acting antiviral for
chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection.
Clinical
trials showed that telaprevir added to standard interferon-based
therapy increases the likelihood of a cure and reduces the required
duration of treatment for most patients.
The
drug is expensive, however, and must be used in a combination
regimen with pegyalted interferon (Pegasys or PegIntron) and ribavirin.
Vertex
Pharmaceutical recently started a financial assistance and patient
support program to help provide access to telaprevir for people
who might not otherwise be able to afford it.
The
co-pay assistance will cover up to 20% of the total cost of telaprevir
for people who pay out-of-pocket or have an insurance co-pay,
regardless of household income. If the co-pay is less than the
20% of the prescription price, the drug will be free.
For
people covered by government insurance such as Medicaid or Medicare,
Vertex will make donations to the non-profit Patient Access Network
Foundation, which has a fund to provide co-pay assistance to people
with hepatitis C.
Vertex
case managers will research patients' insurance benefits, assist
people with insurance appeals, and help guide them to other available
forms of financial support.
The
Vertex Free Medicine Program will provide telaprevir at no cost
to people who do not have insurance, are not covered by other
benefits programs, and have an annual household income of $100,000
or less.
Vertex
"launched a comprehensive patient assistance and reimbursement
program to support its belief that no patient should have to go
without one of its treatments due to cost alone," according
to a company announcement.
For
further information visit www.Incivek.com
or contact Vertex at 855-837-8394.
5/31/11
Sources
Vertex Pharmaceuticals. FDA Approves Incivek (telaprevir) for
People with Hepatitis C. Press release. May 23, 2011.
Vertex
Pharmaceuticals. http://www.incivek.com.
