Minocin and insurance coverage

[spfister]

Hi all:

I went to the AP Dr. referred from RB and he changed my RX from minocycline to the brand name Minocin.  Because he also though it would work better. 

Now when I went to pick  up the Minocin the co pay was half the price of the drug because they consider it a non formulary level 3. The price was $324.00 for me, this is half price of the normal price. Minocycline for me was a $35.00 co-pay.  The insurance said I could try to write a letter of reconsideration.  I saw  where some of you have bought from Canada, but the price there would be $165.00 for a 100.  Still that would be cheaper than 324.00 here is US.

Any suggestion on what to write in the reconsideration letter?

Any of you had this problem?

Thanks

[Maz]

[user=2270]spfister[/user] wrote:

Any suggestion on what to write in the reconsideration letter?

Any of you had this problem?

Hi Shari,

Yea, think pretty much everyone who has been prescribed brand name Minocin has probably had it questioned or rejected by their insurance. 🙁 Minocin's price shot up when the patent ran out and Wyeth sold distribution rights to a dermatological company here in the US (Triax) and they started selling it in funky zit packs for teens. Of course, Minocin was in direct competition with Wyeth's Enbrel, so this could be why Wyeth camoflauged it as an acne med…though it boggles the mind to think who would pay that amount for an acne med. See this link:

https://www.roadback.org/index.cfm/fuseaction/aboutrbf.display/display_id/255.html

I've heard here that some docs will plead the case for brand Minocin by saying their patients have reflux and brand helps prevent this in its pelleted, slow release form. Others may be able to share how they got their brand Minocin approved. I bought mine from Canada from http://www.buylowdrugs.com  The cost wasn't that bad as 100 caps lasted me a good 4 months on a pulsed dose of 6 caps a week (100mg BID MWF).

Wyeth also sold rights to Stiefel in Canada and, if you go this route, important to state, “Stiefel brand pelleted Minocin only” on the order form, as there is also a powdered form. Capsules should be two-toned indigo and orange. Here in the US, however, brand Minocin is in a pea-green capsule with one transluscent end so you can see the pellets.

Hope this helps?

Peace, Maz

[Peach73]

Maz….on that site..how does that work?  Does your doc fax them a script?  I went there and found that azithromycin 250 mg for 60 tablets is only $90.00!  thats great!  I apologize for getting off subject here.

[Maz]

[user=2089]Peach73[/user] wrote:

Maz….on that site..how does that work?  Does your doc fax them a script?  I went there and found that azithromycin 250 mg for 60 tablets is only $90.00!  thats great!

 Hi Peach,

You or your doc can fax the script to buylowdrugs. I used to do it myself. You just fill out the online order form with all your details and credit card info. Print it off, attach the script in the box on the form, where indicted and fax it to them. They recommended calling an hour after the fax to ensure they received it. The order takes about 3 weeks to be mailed, so important to stay ahead of the game and to re-order before running out.

Hope that helps?

Peace, Maz

[anjoe]

Same here. I had to pay 300.00+ for the last 3 months. Dr. K just put me on “Lederle” generic minocycline instead of the Minocin that I took for the last 3 months. She said that it was the closest to the brand Minocin in a generic form. My enzymes are down to 900 the quickest that she has ever seen on just 3 months of AP Therapy 🙂  She told me to still take 1,000 fish oil 3xdaily and to increase my D-3 to 10,000IU daily for a couple of months since I'm still low. I'm very happy to find something in generic that is not so expensive. I'll give it a try and see if it still helps my levels.

---

Polymyositis:12/09 Minocin 100 mg on M,W,F since 2/3 *Starting Minocycline next week: 100 mg on M/W/F

[Randy]

Yep,

We have a real problem in our country when our insurance copay here costs more than it costs to get it without insurance from Canada. Our pharmaceutical industry has absolutely no conscience, and our terrific insurance fat cats are right there in bed with them. :angry:

No one should profit over someone else's illness.

Randy

Diffuse SD since Apr '07
AP since Feb '08
100mg Mino twice daily
Stopped Clindamycin IVs Aug 2019
"No one should profit over someone else's illness"

[mschmidt]

I had the same problem initially, called up my IM doctor and told him the generic was aggravating my reflux. I'd just been diagnosed with scleroderma a few months prior, and since GERD can be an issue, my doctor agreed to switch me to brand name. He wrote the Rx as “DNS” ( do not substitute), and my insurance never questioned it. Initially, when I went to the pharmacy with the Minocin prescription for adult acne ( which I didn't have, but told my doc I did), I asked the pharmacist for the brand name, and she put it in the computer as “patient requested” and it came back $600+ . So, YOU can't request the brand name at the pharmacy but, you CAN request it from your doctor. It's pretty well known in the medical world that the powderized form of minocycline can aggravate or cause reflux and esophageal irritation. Since the pellitized is slower released, it usually doesn't cause the same issues. That doesn't mean you can take it with a sip of water and lie down…you still need to make sure you take it with plentyof water and remain upright for an hour.

I agree with Randy-just shameful that U.S. Drug companies profit off of sick people. I sleep just fine at night, knowing that I had to lie about having acne to get the medicine that has saved my life.

[richie]

HI–Lederle was the closest to the brand because it really was the brand –with different packaging –Lederle was owned by WYeth !!!! –Afraid you will find the Lederle is no longer made —

richie

[Maz]

[user=16]richie[/user] wrote:

Lederle was owned by WYeth

 

Hi Richie,

You might find this link interesting. Harold (frequents rheumatic.org site) put this website together after doing quite a bit of research on Minocin and generic minocycline:

http://www.tmgp.com/minocin.htm

” High-Cost Brand Name Minocin in the USA

Pelleted Minocin was developed by Lederle Labs, which became ESI Lederle, which was acquired by Wyeth-Ayerst Laboratories, which then changed its name to simply Wyeth. Minocin by Lederle, ESI Lederle and Wyeth were all the same thing.

Prior to September 2001, Lederle also sold its Minocin as a generic minocycline at a lower cost, which was $70.00 per hundred 100 mg capsules at Wal Mart. Regrettably, in September 2001, Lederle stopped selling its generic.

In February 2006, Wyeth sold or licensed its Minocin brand name in the USA to Triax Pharmaceuticals. Triax then raised the USA list price to $1,020.80 for one hundred 100 mg capsules, or $10.21 per 100 mg capsule. The Triax Minocin is still being manufactured by Lederle / Wyeth, so it's the real thing.”

 

There is quite a bit of useful info on this site for newcomers, so for anyone interested, it's very worth reading this link when you get a chance! 🙂

Peace, Maz

[richie]

Hi-I have followed Wyeth over the years –before we bemoan the high cost of minocin today by Triax –it is still preferable to the alternative –Wyeth was about ready to just drop minocin totally due to declining sales –we must remember minocin sr which is the pelleted  was developed as an acne med by Lederle when Wyeth took it over retinoids were becoming popular in treating acne and the off label use for rheumatoid diseases was relatively small –hence declining sales for minocin –additionally generics were eating into sales —Wyeth even pulled the Lederle generic in hopes of stimulating sales –if Wyeth doesnt sell rights to Triax in the US and Stiefel in Canada –minocin SR would have been discontinued —-
richie

[Maz]

[user=16]richie[/user] wrote:

Hi-I have followed Wyeth over the years –before we bemoan the high cost of minocin today by Triax –it is still preferable to the alternative –Wyeth was about ready to just drop minocin totally due to declining sales –we must remember minocin sr which is the pelleted  was developed as an acne med by Lederle when Wyeth took it over retinoids were becoming popular in treating acne and the off label use for rheumatoid diseases was relatively small –hence declining sales for minocin –additionally generics were eating into sales —Wyeth even pulled the Lederle generic in hopes of stimulating sales –if Wyeth doesnt sell rights to Triax in the US and Stiefel in Canada –minocin SR would have been discontinued —-
richie

You're right, Richie, the high cost of Triax Minocin is preferable to the alternatives.

I'm afraid, though, that I can't share the same view of Big Pharma being as altruistic as you. Wyeth makes a fortune by selling Minocin cheaper throughout the world, using various distributors other than Stiefel and Triax.

Even Dr. T felt that his rejection by Wyeth for trials he was running to use Minocin was the direct result of Minocin being in direct competition with their newer blockbusting drug, Enbrel. JMHO, but I think Wyeth absolutely knew how good Minocin was for rheumatic disease and it was just more profitable for them to give distribution rights to Triax in order to camoflauge it further as an acne med. I don't think altruism ever comes into the minds of Big Pharma….profit does. It's a business, after all.

Peace, Maz

[richie]

Hi—Hope you didnt read me wrong –the drugs cos. are just a cold –hearted business -in fact more cold hearted than most industries —guess the answer is much more price regulation in the US –similiar to the Canadian system —if the people in the US really want change in the system –I wonder !!!!
richie

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