Re: Cost and size of vials

[Guest guest]

150 mg vials are currently being billed to Medicare at around $600. To

my knowledge, there is not yet a 75-mg vial available, so for that

extra 75 mg your husband needs after the first 2 vials, he would need

another vial. 3 vials comes to about $1800, so his billing sounds about

right to me, sad to say.

Fran

--- In , " besteditor2000 " <cbvail@...>

wrote:

>

> Are 75-unit vials of xolair available? If so, how much does a vial

cost?

> What is the cost of a 150-unit vial of xolair? My husband gets billed

> $1875 for 375 units. Is that an overcharge?

>

[Guest guest]

I agree with Fran, that sounds right.

Addy

Group co-owner

375mg every two weeks

> >

> > Are 75-unit vials of xolair available? If so, how much does a

vial

> cost?

> > What is the cost of a 150-unit vial of xolair? My husband gets

billed

> > $1875 for 375 units. Is that an overcharge?

> >

>

[Guest guest]

Once mixed the protein degrades and it is unusable after several hours. Dosages

are based on weight and IgE level, if he doesn't need it, it doesn't get used.

---------------------------------

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[Guest guest]

This sounds like the perfect time to say to him, please don't cut off

your nose to spite your face. I can't remember off the top of my head

how long he's been on Xoalir or how he's doing on it, but all you have

to do to see how life changing Xolair is for so many people is read

back through previous posts. It's just the way it is, same as for other

special kinds of injectable or IV medications that come in limited

types of packaging, there's really nothing to be done about it other

than to complain to Genentech and hope they eventually add a 75 mg

vial.

--- In , " besteditor2000 " <cbvail@...>

wrote:

>

> My husband is so morally outraged that the extra 75 mg. of xolair that

> he does not use (he gets 375 mg) goes down the drain but is still

> charged that he wants to discontinue his treatment. Is anyone else

> upset about this scam? Can we do anything about it?

>

> Carole

>

[Guest guest]

I agree. Your husband stopping treatment hurts his (and your)

quality of life and doesn't really make a statement that anyone will

notice, so I don't see how that is a reasonable course to take.

Addy

Group co-owner

> >

> > My husband is so morally outraged that the extra 75 mg. of xolair

that

> > he does not use (he gets 375 mg) goes down the drain but is still

> > charged that he wants to discontinue his treatment. Is anyone else

> > upset about this scam? Can we do anything about it?

> >

> > Carole

> >

>

[Guest guest]

Poor guy - I can't say that I really blame him for feeling that way. I

suspect he feels he's worked hard for his money and it should be

treated with respect.

I also receive 375 mgs every 2 weeks. That means half a vial down the

drain or, it's like flushing a few hundred dollars down the toilet!

Part of it depends on how much he's getting out of it. I didn't show

any improvement at all (as far as I'm concerned) until they bumped me

up to 375 from the initial 300. Now, 11 months later I would say (and

so does my pulmo) that there is definitely a noticeable improvement.

Unfortunately, it's not total control but it's really better than it

was before Xolair. I'm still not sure if it's made the arthritis and

blood pressure worse.

I've read about Xolair and the different amounts they've tried on

patients. Per what I'm reading, my IgE and weight (both very high)

together put me in the " do not treat zone. " That means to me that

Genentech didn't exactly know what they were doing. While I would not

recommend going over the dose recommended by your doc, I do know

they've tried doses hundreds of times greater than what I'm receiving

with no adverse effects. And I keep that in mind ....

I don't think it's altogether an accident that Genentech only puts this

out in 150 mg vials. Perhaps there are some technical reasons of which

I'm not aware. Perhaps it's to make more money. I'm surprised that

the insurance companies aren't also lobbying Genentech to change their

dispersion method but then most of us are thankful we're getting it and

probably afraid to point out the obvious!

--- In , " besteditor2000 " <cbvail@...>

wrote:

>

> My husband is so morally outraged that the extra 75 mg. of xolair that

> he does not use (he gets 375 mg) goes down the drain but is still

> charged that he wants to discontinue his treatment. Is anyone else

> upset about this scam? Can we do anything about it?

>

> Carole

>

[Guest guest]

Thanks for your reply. I have found out that the 75-unit vials are available

throughout Europe, so why not in the US? Could it be greed? European countries

provide free health care for their citizens, but the insurance and

pharmaceutical companies are in charge here. I called Genentech and was told

that they are not permitted to give information about what is available in

Europe and that I will have to call Novartis headquarters in Switzerland. I plan

to do that tomorrow - Wednesday and ask why the 75 gram vials are not available

in the US. I need to pursue this...60 Minutes?

Good luck with your asthma.

Carole

-------------- Original message ----------------------

From: " instdesgn1 " <instdesgn1@...>

> Poor guy - I can't say that I really blame him for feeling that way. I

> suspect he feels he's worked hard for his money and it should be

> treated with respect.

>

> I also receive 375 mgs every 2 weeks. That means half a vial down the

> drain or, it's like flushing a few hundred dollars down the toilet!

>

> Part of it depends on how much he's getting out of it. I didn't show

> any improvement at all (as far as I'm concerned) until they bumped me

> up to 375 from the initial 300. Now, 11 months later I would say (and

> so does my pulmo) that there is definitely a noticeable improvement.

> Unfortunately, it's not total control but it's really better than it

> was before Xolair. I'm still not sure if it's made the arthritis and

> blood pressure worse.

>

> I've read about Xolair and the different amounts they've tried on

> patients. Per what I'm reading, my IgE and weight (both very high)

> together put me in the " do not treat zone. " That means to me that

> Genentech didn't exactly know what they were doing. While I would not

> recommend going over the dose recommended by your doc, I do know

> they've tried doses hundreds of times greater than what I'm receiving

> with no adverse effects. And I keep that in mind ....

>

> I don't think it's altogether an accident that Genentech only puts this

> out in 150 mg vials. Perhaps there are some technical reasons of which

> I'm not aware. Perhaps it's to make more money. I'm surprised that

> the insurance companies aren't also lobbying Genentech to change their

> dispersion method but then most of us are thankful we're getting it and

> probably afraid to point out the obvious!

>

>

>

> >

> > My husband is so morally outraged that the extra 75 mg. of xolair that

> > he does not use (he gets 375 mg) goes down the drain but is still

> > charged that he wants to discontinue his treatment. Is anyone else

> > upset about this scam? Can we do anything about it?

> >

> > Carole

> >

>

>

>