Why is Otezla So Expensive: How to Save + Alternatives
speciality medications
If you or a loved one has psoriatic or plaque arthritis, having a reliable and effective medication to alleviate symptoms can be life-changing from treatment day one.
Medications like Otezla (apremilast) can make chronic issues like stiffness, joint pain, and swelling disappear or significantly reduce their impact on a patient’s day-to-day life—allowing people who have chronic pain because of these symptoms to enjoy more symptom-free days.
Unfortunately, this benefit is only available to those who can afford to pay for Otelza. And that barrier to entry is quite high: A month’s supply of Otezla can cost over $5,000.00 for a supply of 55 twice-a-day tablets for patients in the United States, making this medication quite financially burdensome (to say the least).
Wondering why Otezla is so expensive and how you can manage its cost? You're not alone. Many, many patients face this challenge.
Dr. Brynna Connor, M.D., a board-certified family medicine physician who specializes in regenerative medicine, reports that “...about 2-3% of people around the world have psoriasis. About 10-20% of people with this condition also develop psoriatic arthritis, a related disorder that causes joint pain.”
All of those people need effective treatment. We’re here to help.
Read this guide now (and bookmark it to reference later!) to understand the factors behind Otezla's high price and explore strategies for managing your prescription costs effectively.
Why is Otezla So Expensive? (And What You Can Do About It)
There are many reasons Otezla’s cost remains high. Here, we’ve boiled these reasons down to the top three responsible factors.
1. Otezla’s Significant Development and Research Costs
To put it mildly, creating a drug and getting it to market from scratch takes a lot of money. From the initial research backing the drug to the myriad steps in getting it approved to figuring out the extensive logistics of sending the drug across the nation, there’s quite a bit to handle.
Just some of the Otezla costs incurred to develop a drug include:
- Getting a drug through research and extensive clinical trials, which trust the drug’s safety and efficacy and can involve the time and expertise of thousands of people over many, many years;
- Sourcing high-quality ingredients, buying all of the sophisticated machinery needed, and providing training to the technicians and researchers integral to creating a new drug product; and
- Applying for and managing patents for the drug, so the drug’s manufacturers get exclusive rights to sell the drug (and can block cheaper, generic versions from getting sold for a specific amount of time).
All of that costs a lot of money.
So a manufacturer can remain profitable, they generally try to price the drug quite high so that cost gets passed down to you—the consumer.
Which leads us nicely to the second reason why Otezla is so expensive…
2. Otezla Manufacturer Pricing Strategies
Amgen, Otezla’s manufacturer, sets their prices high enough to make a profit.
Depending on the nature of the market at any given time, this might include:
- Setting high Otezla costs to balance their investment cost and profit margins
- Working hard to make sure that Otezla remains a unique, in-demand brand-name drug with no significant competitors
- Launching aggressive direct-to-consumer marketing campaigns to ensure their drug remains top-of-mind when patients need a way to manage arthritis symptoms
- Simultaneously, deploying marketing to healthcare providers so Otezla is a top-of-mind option for doctors, too.
That costs a lot of money, too.
3. Otezla Insurance and Coverage Issues
Each patient’s insurance coverage also plays a huge role in their experience with Otezla’s affordability.
It’s not, for example, as simple as saying that Otezla is covered by insurance (and is therefore accessible with an affordable copay).
Different insurance plans do offer widely varying levels of coverage for Otezla. This makes predicting out-of-pocket costs for patients difficult and can even lead to inconsistent Otezla prices for the same patients.
It’s also not a given that having insurance coverage leads to low Otezla costs. Even with insurance, some patients may have very substantial costs to manage.
Finally, even if you do have excellent coverage and your insurance company handles most of your costs, it’s best to be aware that that could change. For most Americans, insurance is tied to employment. If you change jobs or lose your jobs, you could have very different coverage (or no coverage) with very little warning.
Your insurer can also decide to change your coverage. Remember that your insurance company’s first interest is profits, and if a drug is very expensive, it costs your insurer a lot of money to give it to you for reduced rates.
This creates an unfortunate incentive for many insurance companies to drop or reduce coverage of the more expensive medications—or, in other words, the precise medications that people need help affording.
Here’s Exactly How You Can Save on Otezla
There are a few different ways you can consider saving on this arthritis drug.
Otezla Cost Manufacturer Assistance Programs
Otezla’s manufacturer, Amgen, may offer certain types of assistance to help patients afford their necessary and prescribed medication. These can change over time, and eligibility is not a given. However, these programs can include options like:
- Amgen’s co-pay support programs, programs that can help bring the co-pay associated with purchasing Otezla down to zero for qualifying patients.
- Intermittent Otezla promotions, available through mass marketing campaigns or by talking to your healthcare provider, which can reduce the cost for a one-off purchase of Otezla.
Both of these options rely on your being eligible for assistance and being in the right place at the right time.
And, while they may provide invaluable assistance for a time, it’s important to remember that these are likely not permanent resources. You could become ineligible for assistance, or Amgen could end its co-pay program, with little notice. Even if you do use these options, it’s a good idea to have other methods in place for reducing your personal Otezla costs.
Save Time, Money, and Stress By Buying Otezla Through an Online Canadian Pharmacy
One consistent, convenient, and reliable way to save big on Otezla is by purchasing your medications through an international and online Canadian pharmacy and international drugs website.
Very often, these websites can offer high-quality, brand-name medications for a fraction of the price you’ll see at brick-and-mortar American stores.
The Many Benefits of Online Canadian Pharmacies
Selecting an international and online Canadian drugs website can connect you with many benefits – including:
Significant cost savings: Medications are often much cheaper than U.S. prices.
Here’s what we mean:
In the United States, a supply of 55 tablets of brand-name Otezla can cost over $5,000.00.
Through NorthWestPharmacy.com, you can buy that same supply of brand Otezla for around $690.00 – or savings of up to 86%.
Convenience: Easily order medications from the comfort of your home.
Licensed pharmacists: Professional advice and consultation are available for no additional charge from licensed pharmacists.
No insurance hassles: Simplified ordering process without dealing with insurance paperwork.
However, in order to make sure that you’re going to have a good experience with your Canadian internet pharmacy and international meds vendor, you need to select the right one—and make sure that you’ve done your homework, first.
Quick! Some Pro Tips for Buying Medications Safely Online
If you’re a bit wary of buying critical medications online, that makes sense.
Fortunately, if you work with the right online pharmacy website, you should be able to buy what you need with ease. Here’s what we’d recommend:
Verify your preferred pharmacy’s credentials before buying medication through it. (Checking to see whether the pharmacy is approved by CIPA, the Canadian International Pharmacy Association, is a quick way to do this.)
Make sure that the pharmacy you’re looking at requires prescriptions.
This may not seem like a vital step, but it is. Prescriptions are a tool that your doctor and pharmacy use to make sure you’re getting safe, effective treatment. Any place that tells you you don’t need a prescription is not doing you a favor, so make sure the website you’re working with has it as a requirement.
Read online pharmacy customer reviews to get a sense for the pharmacy’s past performance of service quality and reliability. Make sure there are well over 100,000 positive customer reviews.
Look for contact information. To have the best possible experience working with your online and international Canadian pharmacy, make sure that you have access to a customer service phone number that works!
By implementing these tips and vetting your resources, you should be able to find a cost-effective way to manage your arthritis symptoms using brand name Otezla.
But what if Otezla isn’t the option you’re looking for?
Are There Good Alternatives to Otezla?
Otezla isn’t the only arthritis medication you can consider for symptom reduction and treatment.
Some popular alternatives include the following:
Enbrel
Enbrel (etanercept) is a medication that’s administered as a subcutaneous injection for adults who have psoriatic arthritis.
It works by inhibiting a substance called ‘tumor necrosis factor’ (or TNF), which may have a scary name but plays a relatively normal role in the inflammatory response. Side effects of Enbrel can include injection site reactions, headaches, and upper respiratory infections.
Humira
Humira (adalimumab), like Enbrel, is a kind of TNF inhibitor that’s also given via subcutaneous injection once every other week. It can help with many different types of inflammatory conditions, making it a potentially good option for people requiring general aid.
After taking Humira, some patients experience headaches and injection site reactions, but these should go away as your body gets used to the medication.
Remicade
Unlike Humira and Enbrel, Remicade (infliximab) is a medication administered via “infusion,” or via IV administration. This happens once every six to eight weeks and will require visits to a healthcare facility.
Side effects of Remicade include respiratory infections and headaches, but it is effective at treating the symptoms of arthritis.
Stelara
Stelara (ustekinumab) is used to treat plaque psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis as well as conditions like Crohn’s disease. It does so by targeting interleukin-12 and -23, which are proteins that help perpetuate the body’s inflammatory response.
The dosing interval for this medication is (much!) wider than most, at one dose every 12 weeks for many patients. If you’re looking for a relatively hands-off option, Stelara may be worth looking into.
Skyrizi
Skyrizi (risankizumab), like Stelara, treats the symptoms of plaque psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis by targeting interleukin-23 (although, unlike Stelara, it doesn’t target interleukin-12). This medication is administered by subcutaneous injection every 12 weeks.
Cosentyx
Cosentyx (secukinumab) is an arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis medication that inhibits another interleukin—interleukin-17A.
While Cosentyx is also a medication administered by subcutaneous injection, it has a slightly more frequent dosing schedule: Patients who take Cosentyx will need an injection once every four weeks.
Taltz
Much like Cosentyx, Taltz (ixekizumab) treats plaque psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis by targeting interleukin-17A to reduce inflammation and related symptoms.
It’s also a once-monthly subcutaneous injection. If you’ve tried Cosentyx and are seeking similar drugs to see what works best for your body, Taltz may be worth a try.
Simponi
Simponi (golimumab) is a medication used to treat various types of arthritis as well as ankylosing spondylitis and ulcerative colitis. As a once-monthly subcutaneous injection, Simponi does require a little more scheduling and attention than options like Stelara.
If you take Simponi, be aware that there are certain side effects, like an increased risk of serious infections, to consider.
Cimzia
Cimzia (certolizumab) is an arthritis treatment that offers many of the benefits of drugs like Otezla, but is more flexible and may even be safe for use during pregnancy (of course, if your doctor agrees that it’s appropriate for you in your unique circumstances.
Often, patients taking Cimzia will start with two injections every two weeks, before transitioning to a slightly more spaced-out maintenance dosing schedule.
Orencia
Orencia (abatacept) is a drug used to treat juvenile idiopathic arthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. Patients prescribed it have some flexibility regarding administration: They can take it as either an injection or an infusion. The active ingredient in Orencia, abatacept, affects the way that T-cells (an integral part of your immune system) get activated.
Sometimes, patients who take Orencia experience nausea and headaches after administration, but that goes away with time.
Tremfya
Like Otezla, Tremfya (guselkumab) is mainly used to treat plaque psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis.
With a once-every-two-months dosing schedule, this injected medication requires infrequent enough management that it can fit quite nicely into many patients’ lifestyles. It’s a newer drug, but it’s been shown to be very effective in clinical trials: “After 16 weeks and three doses of TREMFYA, patients reported substantial improvements in scalp itch and health-related quality of life outcomes (HRQoL), including reduced pigmentation post-inflammation, against placebo,” reports Clinical Trials Arena.
Is It Time to Buy Otezla at an Affordable Price Point?
Whether you opt for Otezla or one of its many alternatives, one thing’s for sure: You shouldn’t have to bankrupt yourself to access an effective arthritis medication.
Luckily, we’ve got options for you to consider. At NorthWestPharmacy.com, a CIPA-approved online pharmacy website, you can buy many types of brand-name arthritis medications for affordable prices. Interested in learning more about how we can help you? Head to our Otezla page to get started, or chat with one of our friendly customer service reps or licensed pharmacists today!
The team at NorthWestPharmacy.com looks forward to helping you support your healthcare journey!
