Telaprevir (Incivek) Patient Assistance Program

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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

SourcesVertex Pharmaceuticals. FDA Approves Incivek (telaprevir) for People with Hepatitis C. Press release. May 23, 2011.

Vertex Pharmaceuticals. http://www.incivek.com.

http://www.hivandhepatitis.com/hep_c/news/2011/0531_2011_b.html