| |
Kaletra Pricing & ADAP Price Freeze
|
| |
| |
This announcement came from Abbott.
Effective June 21, Abbott is taking a modest 4.9 percent price increase for Kaletra (Kaletra Soft GelCaps/Liquid). Abbott is committed to ensuring that its HIV medications are fairly priced and that patients have continued access to its life-saving treatments.
This price increase will not affect AIDS Drug Assistance Programs. Abbott has extended its price freeze on Kaletra until the end of this year to ADAPs.
This price increase for Kaletra is the first in more than three years and is less than the rise in the cost of living, as reflected by the consumer price index, over the same period of time.
ABBOTT BROADENS LONG-STANDING COMMITMENT TO STATE AIDS DRUG ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS
- Company Extends Price Freeze for Kaletra Through End of Year To Assist Underserved People Living with HIV -
ABBOTT PARK, Ill., June 21, 2005 - Abbott announced today that the company has extended its support of state-administered AIDS Drug Assistance Programs (ADAPs) that serve low-income, uninsured and underinsured people living with HIV to help address the programs' funding crisis. Abbott's commitment includes an extension of its price freeze on the company's HIV medication Kaletra (lopinavir/ritonavir) through the end of 2005. This extension, which applies both to the soft gel capsules and liquid formulations of Kaletra, will result in a total of more than three consecutive years of price-freeze assistance for Kaletra to ADAPs.
"Abbott is fully committed to the welfare of HIV/AIDS patients who are uninsured or underinsured, and we are pleased to extend our agreement with ADAP," said Heather Mason, vice president, Pharmaceutical Products, Specialty Operations, Abbott.
Abbott's existing ADAP agreement, which began in June 2002, and was extended in 2003, freezes the price of Kaletra through June 30, 2005, for eligible patients. The new agreement takes effect July 1, 2005. In 2004, Abbott committed to a permanent price freeze for ADAP patients taking Norvir (ritonavir). To date, Abbott is the only pharmaceutical company to have made such a commitment.
"Abbott recognizes the continuing struggle of ADAPs across the country to meet the growing demand for services with insufficient funding, and has renewed its pledge to help stabilize the program nationally," said Dwayne Haught, a member of the National Alliance of State and Territorial AIDS Directors (NASTAD) ADAP Crisis Task Force.
Patient Assistance Program
To compliment the ADAP safety net, Abbott has an industry-leading Patient Assistance Program that enables patients who do not have adequate insurance and income who may not have access to ADAP programs, to have increased access to the company's HIV medications. The program provides its HIV medications free to any ADAP-eligible patient on a waiting list. For Kaletra, patients without insurance who are financially disadvantaged based on federal poverty guidelines can contact www.PPArx.org to apply.
For Norvir, patients without prescription drug coverage or public assistance can receive this medication at no cost, regardless of income. Abbott has further expanded the program to offer patients requiring 400 milligrams or more of Norvir a day, free Norvir, regardless of income or insurance status. The recommended dosage of Norvir is 600 milligrams twice daily by mouth. When Norvir is used with another protease inhibitor, it should be dosed in accordance with the prescribing information for that product. Patient Assistance Program applications are available at www.PPArx.org.
About Kaletra
Kaletra (lopinavir/ritonavir) is always used in combination with other anti-HIV medicines to treat people with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection.
Once daily dosing of Kaletra in combination with other anti-HIV medicines is not recommended for people with previous HIV treatment and has not been evaluated in children. Diarrhea may be more common in patients taking the once daily dose compared to the twice daily dose.
Safety Information
Kaletra should not be taken by patients who have had an allergic reaction to Kaletra or any of its ingredients, including lopinavir or ritonavir.
Taking Kaletra with certain drugs can cause serious problems or death. Kaletra should not be taken with dihydroergotamine, ergonovine, ergotamine, and methylergonovine such as Cafergot, Migranal, D.H.E. 4, Ergotrate Maleate, and Methergine, as well as Halcion, Hismanal, Orap, Propulsid, Seldane, and Versed.
Kaletra should not be taken with rifampin, also known as _Rimactane, Rifadin, Rifater_, or Rifamate, Flonase, Mevacor, Zocor, or products containing St. John's wort (Hypericum perforatum). In addition, Kaletra once daily should not be taken with Agenerase, Sustiva, Viracept, Viramune, Dilantin, phenobarbital, or Tegretol. Particular caution should be used when taking Viagra, Cialis, or Levitra, since the interaction with Kaletra may result in an increase in their related side effects. Patients should discuss all medicines, including those without a prescription and herbal products they are taking or plan to take, with their doctor or pharmacist. Pancreatitis and liver problems, which can be fatal, have been reported in patients receiving Kaletra. Patients should tell their dotor if they have had liver disease such as hepatitis. In patients taking protease inhibitors, increased bleeding (in patients with hemophilia) and diabetes/high blood sugar have occurred. Changes in body fat have been seen in some patients receiving antiretroviral therapy. Some patients receiving Kaletra have had large increases in triglycerides and cholesterol. Varying degrees of cross resistance among protease inhibitors have been observed. The most commonly reported side effects of moderate severity are: abdominal pain, abnormal bowel movements, diarrhea, feeling weak or tired, headache, and nausea. Children taking Kaletra may sometimes get a skin rash. This is not a complete list of reported side effects. Kaletra oral solution contains alcohol. Kaletra does not cure HIV infection or AIDS and does not reduce the risk of passing HIV to others. For more information, including Kaletra (lopinavir/ritonavir) full prescribing information, please visit www.kaletra.com.
About Norvir
Norvir (ritonavir) is used in combination with other anti-HIV medicines to treat people with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection.
Safety Information
Norvir should not be taken by patients who have had a serious allergic reaction to Norvir or any of its ingredients.
Norvir should not be used with certain medications. Taking certain other medications with Norvir can cause serious or life-threatening problems. Do not take Norvir with Cordarone, ergotamine, ergonovine, methylergonovine, and dihydroergotamine such as Cafergot, Migranal, and D.H.E. 45, as well as Halcion, Hismanal, Orap, Propulsid, Quinidine, also known as Quinaglute, Cardioquin, or Quinidex, Rythmol, Seldane, Tambocor, Uroxatrol, Vascor, or Versed.
In addition, Norvir should not be taken with Flonase, Mevacor, Zocor, or products containing St. John's wort (Hypericum perforatum). Particular caution should be used when taking Viagra, since the interaction with Norvir may result in an increase in Viagra-related side effects. Patients should discuss all medicines, including those without a prescription and herbal preparations they are taking or plan to take with their doctor or pharmacist.
Pancreatitis and liver problems, which may cause death, have been reported in patients receiving Norvir. Patients should tell their doctor if they have or have had liver disease such as hepatitis. In patients taking protease inhibitors, increased bleeding (in patients with hemophilia) and diabetes/high blood sugar have occurred. Some patients have reported allergic reactions ranging from mild to severe. Changes in body fat have been seen in some patients receiving antiretroviral therapy.
Some patients receiving Norvir have had large increases in triglycerides and cholesterol. Varying degrees of cross-resistance among protease inhibitors have been observed.
The most commonly reported side effects are: feeling weak or tired, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, loss of appetite, abdominal pain, changes in taste, tingling feeling or numbness in hands or feet or around the lips, headache, and dizziness. This is not a complete list of reported side effects. Norvir oral solution contains alcohol.
Norvir does not cure HIV infection or AIDS and does not reduce the risk of passing HIV to others.
For more information, including Norvir (ritonavir) full prescribing information, please visit www.norvir.com.
About Abbott
Abbott has been a leader in HIV research since the early years of the epidemic. In 1985, the company developed the first licensed test to detect HIV antibodies in the blood, and remains a leader in HIV diagnostics. Abbott retroviral and hepatitis tests are used to screen more than half of the world's donated blood supply. With Kaletra, Abbott has developed two protease inhibitors, and also offers nutritional products that meet the unique dietary needs of people living with HIV.
Abbott is a global, broad-based health care company devoted to the discovery, development, manufacture and marketing of pharmaceuticals and medical products, including nutritionals, devices and diagnostics. The company employs more than 60,000 people and markets its products in more than 130 countries.
Abbott's news releases and other information are available on the company's Web site at www.abbott.com.
|
|
| |
| |
|
|
|
