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Asacol is being discontinued!

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Ulcerative Colitis
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Posted 4/8/2013 1:54 PM (GMT 0)
You left this little tidbit out from the end of that same post:

Nice to see you're on here Amber. Catch me if you can Daddy's girl.

From the same forum (via very little searching):

Amber Boissonneault _CEO Daughter
Amber will be promoted to Regional Sales Director and will lead the Gastroenterology Division, reporting to Carl Reichel. In her most recent role, Amber was Commercial Senior Manager GI/Derm and Sales Operations where she was responsible for the development and execution of all field-based promotional materials and programs to support the continued growth of the Gastroenterology and Dermatology franchises and optimizing operational support for field-based activities across all sales teams in the areas of sample compliance/accountability, fleet and SFA (sales force automation).

Amber joined Warner Chilcott in 2003 as a sales representative on the Women’s Healthcare team. Amber finished in the top 10% of the sales force and became a 2006 PAC rep winner. In Sept 2007, Amber joined the Dermatology sales team as a District Manager and in 2008 she was a PAC and a Meet the Mangers winner again at the DM level. Amber graduated from Rutgers University in 2002 with a Major in Art History.

Sounds like Amber, (an Art History major from Rutgers) is calling the shots on the future of Asacol/mesalamine administration for Warner Chilcott.

This ONE SALES REP on a message board seems to have a personal vendetta against "Amber" and Warner Chilcott. Someone responds to the comment you pasted by mocking him.

I know you hate me and get really offended when I say things like this, but: maybe don't read too deeply into what one anonymous, seemingly non-credible pharma sales rep with a personal issue against Warner Chilcott says on an internet forum. Because as of right now this questionable, anonymous person is the best source that exists for discrediting Delzicol.

How much do sales reps even understand about pharmacology or science behind any of the medications they peddle? I'd imagine they're told whatever the company wants to be said about their products and very little else.

Post Edited (sfc425) : 4/8/2013 7:58:30 AM (GMT-6)

Posted 4/8/2013 2:02 PM (GMT 0)
Everyone should check out this article about Warner-Chilcott's sales reps:

http://ycharts.com/analysis/story/warnerchilcott_drug_reps_run_amok_whistleblower_suit

Or if you give more credence to that web forum, perhaps you'd like to read how WC's sales reps get hired:

http://www.cafepharma.com/boards/showthread.php?t=416678

Let's trust the doctors with medical advice and maybe pay little mind to the people trying to profit off our diseases...
Posted 4/8/2013 2:13 PM (GMT 0)
Sorry to say, but this has been going on forever in the industry. My husband was a pharma rep about 30 years ago, and he said this happened all the time. Nothing new.
Posted 4/8/2013 6:51 PM (GMT 0)
I called my GI's office, and his nurse told me that they are recommending anyone doing well on Asacol switch to Asacol HD. She also said that many doctors are reporting good results with their patients taking Delzicol, but they totally understand about UC patients not really wanting to switch from what's working well. I called my pharmacy to check for sure that they had the Asacol HD, and told them about the switch to Delzicol. They will make sure to have both in stock.

Again, thanks to everyone for all the good information! It's helps all of us...even the docs and pharmacists! 

Posted 4/8/2013 6:58 PM (GMT 0)
If the reason they're discontinuing Asacol is due to the DBP, which is also in Asacol HD, won't they also be discontinuing Asacol HD soon?
Posted 4/8/2013 6:59 PM (GMT 0)
Make sure to get the Asacol HD discount card. You have to call them to register contact program at 866-379-9569 Its 50 bucks off
Posted 4/8/2013 7:01 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks for the info., scum. My Delzicol co-pay is more than Asacol was.
Posted 4/8/2013 7:02 PM (GMT 0)
Scum1, great, thanks I'll do that! Sara -- I figure I've already been on Remicade, so this can't be much worse. Thankfully I'm 54 and not on any other meds but Asacol, so I count my blessings there.

 

Posted 4/8/2013 7:04 PM (GMT 0)
@Sara -- of course it is, what made you think we'd ever get a break with anything?!! ha! I'm getting kind of used to being the poor middle class anyway. :-)
Posted 4/8/2013 7:06 PM (GMT 0)
Yeah. I'm just wondering if they will also discontinue Asacol HD since it has that same DBP issue.
Posted 4/8/2013 7:38 PM (GMT 0)
It could be that they do discontinue the HD, but for now I'll just go with what the doc says. I'll have to peek at that chat site every once in a while to see what the reps are chattering about, ha. 
Posted 4/8/2013 7:40 PM (GMT 0)
Sounds like a good plan. Let us know how you do on it.
Posted 4/8/2013 8:14 PM (GMT 0)
Personally, I've done much better on Mezavant (Lialda) than I did on Asacol or Mesren (another 5-asa on sale in the UK) so, if you can get it, I would not worry about trying Lialda.

I'm wondering if this endocrine disruption had anything to do with the fact that my menstrual cycle was long and irregular for many years and became 28 - 31 days like clockwork when I went off Asacol...

Good explanation of 5-ASA and DBP here
/www.healthplexus.net/files/content/2012/0207/0207phthalates.pdf
Posted 4/8/2013 8:26 PM (GMT 0)
That pdf is great! Thanks for posting.
Posted 4/8/2013 8:47 PM (GMT 0)
I think my asacol hd ended up being 40 dollars for a months supply(90 pills). My regular asacol was 120 for a months supply(240 pills).
Posted 4/10/2013 11:37 AM (GMT 0)
Delzicol is the new Asacol 400. It is bioequivalent to Asacol, same mechanism of action, everything. Its still from the same company, its just in a capsule now instead. Ask your GI for some samples if you are scared of the switch.

I wouldn't get too excited about a generic, either. i don't think there will be a generic anytime soon.
Posted 4/12/2013 1:41 PM (GMT 0)
It says you're either supposed to take it at least an hour before meals or two hours after meals...I don't understand the purpose of that. Anyone know why? I always took my Asacol whenever.
Posted 4/14/2013 4:59 AM (GMT 0)
My husband was forced into Warner Chilcott after a buy out from P&G, I will tell you as fact, everything WC is being accused of, is absolutely TRUE. He never felt dirtier than working for that company, fortunately he was part of the downsize packaging..which left us unemployed for 8 out of 12 months, but we are in a much better place now & heads can be held high. I can assure you, this new medication was for profit and profit only.
Posted 4/14/2013 10:43 AM (GMT 0)
I get 408 pills of asacol prescribed every month for a copay of $40.00, which lasts me 3 months.  The Dezicol will cost me over $400.00 for the same amount of pills per month.    You tell me thats not a scam!!!!
Posted 4/15/2013 1:52 AM (GMT 0)
I read a bunch of stuff online about the phalates(sp?) in asacol, and my impression was it's what's preventing new generics being made going forward, but the FDA wasn't telling the company to discontinue it's current medications based on that. Asacol is going away due to patent expiration, so Asacol HD isn't going anywhere because it's patent isn't expiring. I guess I'm going to try that when I run out of asacol as I am concerned that a medicine that can't be taken anywhere near meals is a medicine whose topical action is too easily interfered with. Hope everyone posts their experiences switching to whatever it is they switch to - I will.
Posted 4/15/2013 9:36 AM (GMT 0)
ceecee600 try switching to Asacol hd with the discount card
Posted 4/16/2013 12:27 AM (GMT 0)

First of all, thank you everyone for this wonderfully informative forum and to all of the people who take the time to post.  It has helped me immensely over the years.

Last week I also tried to refill my prescription for Asacol and was told that it was being discontinued.  I found out on this post that the closest alternatives were Asacol HD and Delzicol, and I sighed a huge sigh of relief.  I have been taking Asacol for 16 years and have been blessed with no flares for three years, so understandably I don't want to switch to a different med.

So, my Doc sent in a prescription for Delzicol.  My insurance company promptly notified him that they would not cover the cost!!  It doesn't matter if Delzicol is made by the same company and is intended as a replacement for Asacol.  It doesn't matter if Delzicol is the closest match to Asacol.  It doesn't matter that the insurance company covered Asacol when you could still get it.  They were aware of all of this, but the answer was, "It's not covered in your plan".  And I have a suspicion that Asacol HD will not be covered as well.  What a crock.  Those of you who have these drugs covered by insurance should thank your lucky stars.

So my insurance company gets to play Russian Roulette with my health, and that's just supposed to be alright with me?

Posted 4/16/2013 1:18 PM (GMT 0)
Agreed. It's baloney. And it's not just the insurance companies -- it's the pharma companies as well. Don't think for a minute that Warner Chilcott hasn't thought about the profit they are making off of us. The pharmacist told my husband that the Asacol HD was much more expensive that the Asacol...which leads to a bigger copay for the meds -- which equals to more profit for the insurance and pharma company. Greed.
Posted 4/16/2013 1:31 PM (GMT 0)
I have given this advice several times here: LOOK AT YOUR POLICY! Don't let them tell you it's not covered. They have to legally go by what the policy says. I have known some people in the past who worked for health inusrance companies and they were paid bonuses to deny things which were actually covered under the policy. They did this because they knew that some people would just accept what they said and not fight it, saving them millions of dollars in costs that actually were covered in the policy but they denied them. Your policy should state a pharmacy policy. If it doesn't specifically deny certain meds or types of meds then they can't legally deny them. Check the policy for yourself instead of just accepting a denial and if you don't see anything in the policy allowing them to deny certain meds then stand up for yourself and fight it.
Posted 4/16/2013 2:44 PM (GMT 0)
Are you sure Lialda is not as effective? It was for me..
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