HealingWell
Search Close Search
☰

Zytiga vs Generic... opinions

Support Forums
>
Prostate Cancer
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply
❬ ❬ Previous Thread |Next Thread ❭ ❭
Posted 9/27/2019 12:48 AM (GMT 0)
The Title says it all. Looking for opinions disincentive the generic came out
Posted 9/27/2019 2:45 AM (GMT 0)
The generic sold in the States probably was made by the same company that makes the original product...Are you still on Zytiga ? Insurance company demands you change to the generic version, right ?
Posted 9/27/2019 3:55 AM (GMT 0)
Todd,
Due to Insurance coverage and cost, I had to switch to generic three months ago. No worries, My Oncologist at CTCA said the chemical components and make up of the generic is exactly the same as the original, like Fairwinds says. So for me, 57 months Zytiga, 3 months now on Generic. For me it has worked so far.
Wings aka Dan
Posted 9/27/2019 1:21 PM (GMT 0)
Good morning Fairwind. Good morning down the man. Fairwind, dancer your question, I am now back on Zytiga. I was off of it for 11 months and I had not gotten a Lupron shot in 14 months but numbers were on the rise It’s good to know that the generic is probably made by the same company and that the chemical make up is probably identical that however did not stop me from having a rant to my insurance company last night for over an hour. I did end up in successful at changing their minds. It seems I Will be receiving the non-generic form. I simply told them that as a stage for prostate cancer patient that I had no intention of trusting my life to a generic medication that for all I know could be made out of sheet rock dust.
Posted 9/27/2019 4:50 PM (GMT 0)
Todd Sorry to here the numbers are up. This question is interesting, as it appears when I went on the generic my numbers went up. Did not thing about it until today. A question for my MO.
Posted 9/27/2019 5:27 PM (GMT 0)
Sadly, None of these drugs and treatments work forever....Sooner or later, the cancer progresses...Sheet rock dust ? The generic drug manufacturers in the States at least must meet the same standards as the original manufacturer. In many cases, the "generic" is made by the original manufacturer under a different name...Many drugs have astounding list prices but at the factory level, they are cheap and easy to make..
Posted 9/27/2019 5:54 PM (GMT 0)
I know when I used to abuse codeine pain pills the generics were less effective than the name brands.
Posted 9/27/2019 6:11 PM (GMT 0)
Todd - my husband is on his second "generic" brand. He was on name brand Zytiga for 1.5 years, now 6 months on the two different generics - I don't really understand but the speciality drug store couldn't get the generic that was covered by the insurance company so there was a bit of a hassle switching to CVS's specialty which only carried a different generic than what he had been taking. His PSA has remained steady at >.01 so I guess it's working. The only way we could have stayed with the name brand was to pay over $500 a month even if the doctor wrote a prescription for name brand only which he didn't think was necessary. Husband decided to try the generic and we prepared for a fight if his numbers started to increase. But I completely understand why you made that decision. And I'm so very sorry your vacation didn't work longer. I really hoped it would as you've been such an inspiration to the rest of us.
Posted 9/27/2019 8:56 PM (GMT 0)
There really should be zero difference in a dose of name Brand medication and that of a generic. The chemical structures are identical. Assuming the non-active ingredients don’t interfere with the action of the drug, there will be no difference if the purities are the same. Nevertheless, I understand a patient’s desire to stick the brand they know works.
Posted 9/28/2019 3:23 AM (GMT 0)
If your generic is made by Patriot Pharmaceuticals. it is a related company to Janssen, maker of Zytiga. Mine is made by Apotex. They have a $10 copay program. My 1st PSA test post generic is next week.
Posted 10/6/2019 8:20 PM (GMT 0)

After an initial battle with my insurance provider, my oncologist was able to convince them to keep me on brand name ZYTIGA for a few more months last winter. He battled them like a gladiator.

Push came to shove, and my insurance eventually got out their swords and shields --- and in a power play, basically forced me onto the generic version.

At first, it rattled my cage, and greatly worried me, to be honest --- after discussions with my doctor and pharmacists, I began taking the generic several months ago. I have been assured the chemical composition and efficacy is the same.

Staying on name brand ZYTIGA would have cost me a very pretty penny out-of-pocket, each and every month.

Believe it or not, my copay for the new generic version of ZYTIGA is zero, each and every month, because of the switchover to the generic. Yep, that's right ... ZERO copay.

The label on the bottle is simply "ABIRATERONE ACETATE" --- same dosage each day, four large, white, chalky pills, taken each day with water --- no food two hours before taking the medication, and no food for one hour after afterwards.

So, after all was said and done, life continues with the new generic version of ZYTIGA ... and my P.S.A. has stayed stable, in the undetectable range since the switchover, as well, for which I give thanks.

As several of you know, to track my progress on ZYTIGA, I began saving the empty medication bottles each month, lining them up on the shelf. I know a few other comrades who do that, too.

At last count, I have 50 empty bottles lined up on the shelf --- 50 solid months on ZYTIGA, or now its new generic version. I have peace of mind, once again, now that I have been on the generic version for several months now, with no rise in my P.S.A.

Thankful for the sharing of first-hand experiences here on this website,
CYCLONE ~ Iowa State University
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply