Why is Jublia So Expensive and What Are My Alternatives?
speciality medications
Jublia, an antifungal treatment available only in brand-name form, is an effective medication that helps patients with painful nail infections. Jublia can cure their condition entirely – if the patient is willing to pay tens of thousands of dollars a year for one medication.
This incredibly steep cost has Americans asking one fundamental question:
Why is Jublia so expensive?
In America, a single bottle of Jublia costs well over $1,000.00. Since Jublia needs to be applied frequently, that high cost can quickly make treatment inaccessible.
At NorthWestPharmacy.com, you can save up to 90% on Jublia and enjoy the ease and convenience of mail-ordering your prescription meds.
What is Jublia?
First things first – a quick overview of what this expensive medication is.
What is Jublia Used For?
Jublia (efinaconazole) is a topical medication. Unlike many other popular external treatments that target acne or psoriasis, Jublia helps patients treat fungal nail infections.
If you are experiencing cracked, thickened, or chalky nails, you may have a condition known as distal subungual onychomycosis – an infection caused by Trichophyton rubrum.
These are big words describing a relatively simple infection. Fungal nail infections can cause patients considerable pain in addition to the relatively stark aesthetic effect.
A fungal nail infection will not go away on its own. If left to its own devices, the infection will spread and worsen. Ultimately, your nails will split or even crumble away.
With Jublia, patients seeing these symptoms can rely on a simple yet effective treatment regimen that can reverse their condition entirely. When efinaconazole, the active ingredient in Jublia, is consistently applied to a fungal infection, it blocks the way fungi build cell walls. Without walls, the fungus cannot grow or survive. As a result, the infection goes away.
This process can take a very long time – months.
You need to apply Jublia to every affected toe, every single day, to see the intended result.
Of course, this begs the question: Is this frequent, long-term treatment accessible at Jublia’s high prices?
Why is Jublia So Expensive?
Before discussing why Jublia costs so much, let’s take a moment to shed some light on the current costs of this antifungal med.
Since the sticker shock can be high, we’ll follow that up with good news.
Every American can benefit from sizable savings when they ship brand-name Jublia from an international or Canadian online pharmacy.
How Much Does Jublia Cost?
In America, an 8mL bottle of 10% Jublia solution retails for around $1,430.00.
How long that amount lasts will depend on how much you need to use per application and your doctor’s recommended treatment regimen.
Anecdotal evidence indicates that if all of your toes need daily treatment – one drop per toe, two drops per big toe – you could easily go through 4mL in as little as one week. An 8mL bottle may only last two weeks – and you’re supposed to continue treatment for several months.
An American pursuing antifungal treatment with Jublia could easily pay between $15,000.00 and $30,000.00 (depending on many factors, like how many toes require treatment) over the course of those months.
Luckily, Americans have other options.
At NorthWestPharmacy.com, we sell that 8mL bottle of 10% Jublia for about $143.00, or approximately 90% savings.
Why Does Jublia Cost So Much?
If the $1,430.00 price tag for brand-name Jublia left you reeling, know that you’re not alone. Back in 2016, CVS pharmacies decided the drug was too expensive to sell without significant restrictions.
And the price has only gone up – back in 2016, Jublia cost just about $1,000.00 per 8mL bottle.
As of 2022, it appears that brand name Jublia is not listed on the formularies of many insurance plans. This means insurance may not cover it, require additional authorization, or require additional expensive coverage or out-of-pocket costs.
There’s one very simple reason why Jublia is so costly.
There is no generic version of Jublia available in the United States.
Brand-name Jublia is very effective, and it doesn’t have any competition.
Therefore, its manufacturers can – in America – set its price as high as they want.
When Will a Generic for Jublia Be Available?
It seems that the very earliest patent expiration for Jublia isn’t expected until 2026.
Assuming the patent does expire in 2026, it may still be years after that before American patients see the generic product hit shelves.
Even though the active ingredient in Jublia, efinaconazole, has already gone through several rounds of clinical trials to achieve approval in the United States, generics manufacturers will still need to do a considerable amount of research and testing to create their formulations of a drug that isn’t Jublia (but works very similarly).
Once the generic drug hits the shelves, it should create enough competition for Jublia’s price to get slightly lower. (And, of course, the generic should also be much more affordable.)
Unfortunately, just because one patent for Jublia may expire in 2026 doesn’t mean its manufacturer will simply let that expiration go by.
Often, drug manufacturers will apply for an extension of their patent. They can justify the application by providing some updates to the drug – e.g., updating how the drug should be administered, simplifying the dosage, or even reformulating the drug itself.
Since Jublia has been a profitable drug, it’s not unreasonable to consider that its manufacturers may apply to extend their patent. (It does seem that the company behind Jublia is expanding use cases for the drug.)
Using Jublia: What You Need to Know
Once you’ve bought a supply of Jublia, you need to know how to use it properly to achieve the best possible outcome.
Reading the documentation accompanying your medication and speaking with your doctor or pharmacist are the best ways to get the latest approved instructions. Here, we’ll provide a helpful overview of Jublia application steps.
- Keep the affected nails trimmed, if at all possible. Clip your toenails approximately once per month. Make sure that you clip any uninfected toenails, first, before proceeding to your affected toes. It may also make sense to get yourself a new clipper, explicitly designated for infected toenail use. This is especially important if you live with others. Also, keep track of your trimmings, and dispose of them immediately.
- Clean and dry any toes that are infected.
- Place one drop of Jublia on each affected area. Then, use a brush to spread the ointment, ensuring that the entire toenail is treated. Your big toenail may require two drops to achieve full coverage.
- Repeat this process once daily or as often as your doctor recommends. You should start seeing healthy nail growth after 2-3 months, but you will need to continue treatment with Jublia until all of the infected nails have grown away and been discarded. This can take a very long time.
Does Jublia Cause Any Side Effects?
Jublia is a safe and effective drug; that’s one of the reasons it’s so costly.
That doesn’t mean that Jublia doesn’t cause any unwanted side effects. Jublia side effects are rare, but when they occur, they include ingrown toenails, skin redness surrounding the treatment site, and skin irritation after treatment.
If you notice sustained or severe side effects after using Jublia, consult your doctor immediately.
Is There a Jublia Alternative I Can Use?
As noted above, no direct equivalent to Jublia is available on the market.
Given Jublia’s high cost, you may be relieved to learn there is one alternative we can recommend.
Whether it’s an effective alternative depends on what you’re looking for.
Penlac Nail Lacquer: A Jublia Alternative
Penlac Nail Lacquer (ciclopirox) is, like Jublia, an antifungal agent that can help stop the spread of fungal toenail infections. Patients apply Penlac topically, regularly spreading a little bit of the treatment to each affected area. Like efinaconazole, ciclopirox works by inhibiting how fungi grow at a cellular level.
Patients must use Penlac over a long period – usually more than six months – to experience sustained relief.
While there are some distinct differences between Penlac and Jublia, which we’ll note in a moment, one of the most straightforward is its cost.
How Much Does Penlac Nail Lacquer Cost?
A 6mL bottle of Penlac Nail Lacquer in American pharmacies may cost around $1,200.00.
Of course, that’s not better than Jublia’s cost. (It’s slightly worse.)
However, generic ciclopirox is widely available in America. For around $15.00, people in the United States can purchase a couple of weeks’ worth of treatment.
Those who require the brand-name medication may not be able to consider that option.
Americans seeking an alternative to thousands-of-dollars-per-year brand-name antifungal treatments should consider purchasing their Penlac from an international or Canadian online drugs website. At NorthWestPharmacy.com, you can buy a bottle of Penlac for approximately $60.00 – up to 90% savings.
Which is Better: Jublia or Penlac Nail Lacquer?
Determining whether Jublia or Penlac is best for you and your condition isn’t straightforward.
There is some data we can share:
- Typically, Penlac Nail Lacquer is recommended for mild to moderate fungal infections – in particular, ones in which the condition has not yet spread throughout the entire nail.
- While Penlac does target Trichophyton rubrum, the fungus responsible for many infections, Penlac does not have as significant an effect on other fungal strains (especially drug-resistant fungal strains).
- Past studies directly comparing Penlac to Jublia have shown that Jublia is up to three times more effective at helping patients cure their conditions.
- And, importantly, Penlac and generic ciclopirox can be fussy to administer. It’s an oil-based ointment that patients describe as “sticky.” It can take a few minutes for the medication to dry after administration. Jublia is an alcohol-based solution. It feels cleaner and dries much more quickly.
While Jublia may work better and offer a better treatment experience, it’s hard to argue with the fact that it’s so much more expensive than generic ciclopirox.
Fortunately, if you have access to your preferred medication through an international online pharmacy, you may not have to let cost determine which treatment you go with.
Here’s How to Get Jublia for a Reliably Low Cost
Americans who require antifungals that work well shouldn’t be forced to pay sky-high prices for them.
It’s a simple philosophy, but it’s one surprisingly hard to live by in the United States.
For a variety of reasons, many kinds of prescription treatments always seem to be expensive – and your need for self-care and reduced symptoms can’t wait for patents to expire or prices to get lower.
When you seek high-quality, low-cost, always-reliable antifungal treatments such as Jublia, turn to NorthWestPharmacy.com.
We’re proud to be a safe, consistent resource connecting Americans with brand-name medications that you can ship directly to your front door (in just a few clicks).
Sound too good to be true? It isn’t. But we understand that buying medication online can seem odd. To make sure that you feel as comfortable as possible about your purchasing experience, we have a seven-day-a-week customer service desk with friendly, knowledgeable representatives who are happy to answer any questions you may have.
If you’d like to speak with a pharmacist about your prescription, you can do that, here, too – just call in M-F and we’ll connect you with a licensed pharmacy professional.
We’re also proud to be certified by the Canadian International Pharmacy Association (CIPA) and the International Pharmacy Association of British Columbia (IPABC). It’s not easy to maintain these certifications, but it’s completely worth it to assure our valued customers that we’re a secure, thoroughly-vetted international and online Canadian pharmacy.
Here, you’ll have a great customer experience, you’ll be able to locate and purchase the prescription medications you require, and you’ll see savings up to 90%.
Interested in purchasing Jublia online? Feel free to read up on antifungals, how Jublia works, price-check, and more before placing an order by phone, by mail, or online. Call us at 1-866-539-5330 if there is anything we can do to help! The team at NorthWestPharmacy.com is here to support you.
