Valtrex price hike??

[whymegirl]

A friend of mine just texted me saying her mom went to the pharmacy to pick some up and something about a legal battle with the more generic brand has caused the price to triple.

I live in Canada. I bought a month ago and it was normal price, had anyone any insight into this??

[whitedaisies]

Hello fellow Canuck!

I filled a perscription a week ago and didn't notice any price hike. I go back in another week to re-fill another, I will let you know.

[WCSDancer2010]

The problem is, they don't really have any competition ... and with everything being so hush hush about H, we don't have any way to speak out publicly. I'm hoping that is changing ... I feel that more of us are coming forward and saying we are tired of having to hide and accept the treatment we get all around.

[Guest]

There are at the very least 13 manufacturers of generic valacyclovir. If there is a change in price for your prescription it likely has to do with the way your insurance works. For example, if I try to purchase 90 1g pills it will cost me $350.00, but if I purchase 45 1g pills and split them in half for suppressive therapy it will cost me $20.00. It is also possible to get coupons from the manufacturers and you can get prescriptions for nearly free as a result.

[willow]

I just vented about the exact same thint in another post! Pharmicist told me Valtrex has won agaisnt the lawsuit on their patent rights. Apparently the generic companies diposited their medicine too early. So basically as soon as someone comes up with an idea, they have a patent on it fo X amount of years, untill generic companies can chime in and sell their product. So even with medical help like bennifits thru a job, rx cards etc.. since theres not supposed to be generic componies distributing yet, these health bennifts only help a little bit.

 

Last month i spent 40$on valtrex for a month supply, on sat i went in and it sky rocketed to 130$ for the same amount. With the rx card i ordered online it comes to 70 or 80 bucks. Pharmisist checked out prices for acyclovire and famcyclovire and its about the same price too give or take 10 bucks.

 

No clue when valtrex came out, and how long their patent is supposed to last, but i hope his shit gets solved soon, especially when i hear of others in the states getting it for like 12 bucks!

[Guest]

You really should consult with someone about this, and I don't think you should be purchasing name brand valacyclovir regardless. GlaxoSmithKline's patent on Valtrex ran out in June 2009. They can no longer legally prevent other pharmas from producing valacyclovir. There hasn't been any litigation regarding it since 2007 that I've been able to find, so I don't think it's the case that the price has necessarily gone up. I would be very wary and look into it.

[whymegirl]

Ok I believe im on a more generic brand. My mom has been researching for me today. I think she has searched everything but the black market.. but even that im not totally sure of.

[WCSDancer2010]

@Thisismenow ... seems that there are TWO patents on Valtrex ... one expired in 2009 ... the other won't till future dates shown below according to what I found. Acyclovir has been out of patent for awhile now..... Sounds like someone is trying to make a big buck off of people who have no other options .... :(

 

Acyclovir info

 

US: http://www.drugs.com/availability/generic-zovirax.html

Canada http://www.drugbank.ca/drugs/DB00787

Canada Patent expired approx 2012-01-29

 

Valtrex info

 

US http://www.drugs.com/availability/generic-valtrex.html

Canada http://www.drugbank.ca/drugs/DB00577

Canada expires 2017-01-17 and 2015-10-13

US expires 2016-07-19 and 2009-12-23

 

[willow]

Wow thank u sooo much dancer!

[Guest]

The fact alone that there exists generic valacyclovir means that the patent on the drug formulation is exhausted. It could be the case that Valtrex itself is still patented, but not valacyclovir. Otherwise, it doesn't make any sense that generic brands are even available.

[TaniaUllarich]

I take the valacyclovir, and a month supply is $20. I know the last month was the same. My first script was the same too, and that was for 2 weeks of 3 times a day. So, no change in price for me. But I have insurance that covers it.

[willow]

*update*!!!!!!

 

This especially goes to the others here in canada seeing as the price hike hit us the hardest.

Went to walmart for campin supplies and out of curiosity went to the pharacy section. Budz told me id pay $37.46 for one month supply (suppressive therapy).

Now thats for the generic brand, theres 2 generics available a.t.m.

 

There are 2 valtrex patents out, one patent has expired, this he 2 available generics.

the other one doesnt expire till 2015. Which explains the price hike.

im callin my doc first thing tomorrow to fax over my perscription to the walmart pharmacy!

Not sure why tje other oharmacist couldnt figure it out, oh well!

[WCSDancer2010]

I always tell people to call around if you have to pay out of pocket ... I called 5 pharmacies about 3 drugs awhile back and had HUGE discrepancies between pricing ... so it's worth the calls ;)

[whymegirl]

Thanks @willow !

[Guest]

I get 500mg/daily valacyclovir in a 3 month supply for $20 with my insurance...this is at Safeway supermarket pharmacies in the U.S.

[whymegirl]

I bought out shoppers drug mart's supply today lol... 120 tablets. She said they literally have 1 left. Then they are discontinuing it and going to the pricier name brand option. So yeah.. ill have to figure something out!

[whymegirl]

@thisismenow im jealous... 120 tabs cost me $130 no coverage. And thats the generic brand price!!

[Guest]

Is that valacyclovir? 500mg or 1g? If it's 1g you can split them in half and take 500mg daily. That's the FDA recommended suppressive therapy dosage. You can go up to 1g if your doctor feels it necessary. I would definitely look into this. I've read nothing about GSK being able to renew the patent. It just doesn't happen for medicines like this, not after 20 years of protection from competition. Something doesn't add up.

[WCSDancer2010]

@Thisismenow

 

There were originally TWO patents -

 

again, read these links

 

Acyclovir info

 

US: http://www.drugs.com/availability/generic-zovirax.html

Canada http://www.drugbank.ca/drugs/DB00787

Canada Patent expired approx 2012-01-29

 

Valtrex info

 

US http://www.drugs.com/availability/generic-valtrex.html

Canada http://www.drugbank.ca/drugs/DB00577

Canada expires 2017-01-17 and 2015-10-13

US expires 2016-07-19 and 2009-12-23

[Guest]

Yes, I understand what you're saying, but that is not how patent law works. I'm fairly certain there is something else in play here that people are unaware of. This is the original patent extension approval

 

http://www.uspto.gov/web/offices/pac/dapp/opla/term/certs/4957924.pdf

 

This is a list of companies making off-brand valacyclovir:

 

Aurobindo Pharma

Dr. Reddy's Laboratories

Matrix Laboratories, Limited

Mylan Pharmaceuticals

Ranbaxy Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

Roxane Laboratories, Inc.

Sandoz

Teva Pharmaceuticals

Watson Laboratories

 

The fact that this is happening means there is something else in play other than a simple patent issue. Patents for medications are not granted indefinitely. They generally last no longer than a term of 20 years, which is exactly how long the patent on valacyclovir laster. My guess is the other patent is simply on the name "Valtrex" which prevents other companies from marketing the product as "Valtrex," which continues to provide GSK with a sales advantage because for 20 years the pill was only known as "Valtrex" and so that's what people are conditioned to ask for.

[qcguy]

[Deleted User] doesn't realize that drug patents are handled on a country-by-country basis. Canadian drug patents and approvals are not linked to U.S. drug patents or approvals. I worked in the pharma industry for many years.

 

For CANADIAN READERS: generic valacyclovir is no longer available due to the results of a court dispute between the generic supplier in Canada and GSK. This may not be a permanent state of affairs, but as it stands now, pharmacies do not have access to new orders of generic valacyclovir.

 

GSK has set up a program that will help some valacyclovir users pay for the significant price difference between generic valacyclovir and Valtrex. You can find more information at RxHelp.ca. I registered over the phone. A 'drug card' is sent to you that covers a 'significant' portion of the cost difference at the register when paying for your prescription. This is on top of what your health plan is covering. I am on a provincial drug plan and so I qualified for the assistance. I am not sure what the qualification criteria are in their entirety.

 

I have yet to receive my card. It takes 5 to 10 business days.

[WCSDancer2010]

@qcguy

 

Thank you for the clarification ... that card sounds like the RX Discount cards we have here in the US ... they can help a lot... up to 60% savings over here in the USA..