Asacol is being discontinued!

Thank you for your advice, GaryLouisville; I will follow up on looking at the policy. (I used to live in Richmond, Ky for most of my life, by the way, and I miss it.) The insurance company is telling me now that Delzicol "is being reviewed" to see if it will be added to the plan, but they don't know how long that will take (months, years?). In the mean time, those of us who were taking Asacol will just have to switch to another brand and take our chances.

And Meemers, my doc is putting me on Lialda--he says it's not worth the fight to try to appeal the denial of the Delzicol. Hopefully like you said, it might even be better than Asacol. I just hate knowing I am being manipulated--for profit--and I am powerless to do anything about it.

friskie, I never did take Asacol with meals. Since I was taking it three times a day, I would take it when I first got up, again around 2-4 pm, and again right before I went to bed. Can you delay eating breakfast until about an hour after you get up? Remembering to take it in the afternoon is the hardest part. Good luck, and I hope it works for you.

Same thought crossed my mind...I wondered if one of the class action medical lawyers would be interested in this, or if there just wouldn't be enough grounds to sue. Not sure if the manufacturer would be liable if they just stop making it....BUT they are the only ones with the current patent, so no one else can make it right now.

Ok, so I am so glad I found this site for info.  I found out monday that the Asacol is being discontinued but the generic will be out in June or July.  My Dr. has placed an Rx for Lialda but it it a "non-formulary" drug so insurance would only cover half the bill, leaving me with a cost of over $400 for a monthly supply.  ***!  Now I understand how people have to make the choice to eat or take their pills.  Right now, I have run out and am taking nothing.  That is not healthy, not to mention it is not healthy to just quit cold turkey.  I am fighting with my insurance company, but I doubt it will get me anywhere. 

One of my main concerns is I am currently trying to get pregnant and my Dr. said the Asacol was alright to be on.  Does anyone know if Lialda is "safe".  Has anyone here had experience getting pregnant on medication for UC?

Jse-- you can try bringing Asacol problem to Advocacy for Patients with Chronic Illness. (See their Website.) They were very responsive in winter 2011-12 when Colazal production stopped w/o any warning. (The main difference here is the DBP issue in Asacol's coating.) / Old Hat (32 yrs with left-sided UC; presently in remission taking brandname Colazal)

I agree London, if you can't get anything else, have your doc prescribe mesalamine enemas. They come in generic, so most companies should cover them. I have taken Asacol and used the enemas together for 16 years, and the enemas must be helping, because every time I have tried to stop using them, the Asacol by itself has not been enough to prevent a flare. At least you would be using something for prevention.

Thanks Old Hat for telling us about Advocacy for Patients with Chronic Illness, I think it's a great idea to contact them. I am astonished to discover my insurance company, Humana (medicare drug plan) is not covering delzicol. I had read that Warner-Chilcott was not going to replace asacol with delzicol till they had all the major insurance plans on board for coverage. How do they expect to make as much money if a major company like Humana isn't on board yet? That also *may* give people 'damages' to sue on, as would delzicol causing some people to flare.

Those of you who already have delzicol and say inside the capsule is something that looks like an asacol tablet, I'm curious, do you mean exactly like an asacol tablet, with the red coating, or is it 'naked', like white?

Obscure One said...
Thanks Old Hat for telling us about Advocacy for Patients with Chronic Illness, I think it's a great idea to contact them. I am astonished to discover my insurance company, Humana (medicare drug plan) is not covering delzicol. I had read that Warner-Chilcott was not going to replace asacol with delzicol till they had all the major insurance plans on board for coverage. How do they expect to make as much money if a major company like Humana isn't on board yet? That also *may* give people 'damages' to sue on, as would delzicol causing some people to flare.

The FDA only approved Delzicol in February, so I can't imagine how they would have expected to have all major insurance companies lined up.

While the FDA approval process does explain why they waited so long after the FDA's initial recommendation against the Asacol lining to do anything about it, it also lays bare their audacious lie about the FDA recommendation being the reason for discontinuing it now.

Always interesting to see a stock analyst applauding a company's greed:

"The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Warner's new 400 mg mesalamine product indicated for the treatment of ulcerative colitis. The product will be marketed as Delzicol, which would be commercially launched in March 2013.

"The launch would offset the generic threat to Asacol, which would lose market exclusivity in July 2013. Delzicol is considered to be a follow-on product of the company's core product Asacol, which would no longer be sold once Delzicol hits the market. Asacol had generated $743 million in sales in 2011.

"Further, the company does not plan to price Delzicol at a premium to Asacol, which should allow for a more rapid ramp in formulary coverage.

"Notably, generic competition for the company's mesalamine based Ulcerative Colitis (UC) franchise (Asacol, Asacol HD and Delzicol) remains highly unlikely over the next few years, given the challenging pathway to approval.

"'While we were somewhat disappointed to learn that Delzicol will not enjoy 3 years of new product exclusivity, it is a new formulation (capsule vs. tablet) which leaves the opportunity for the company to secure additional patents to protect the franchise,' RBC Capital Markets analyst Shibani Malhotra wrote in a note to clients."

http://www.istockanalyst.com/finance/story/6300463/warner-chilcott-plc-numerous-sources-of-potential-upside

I took generic mesalamine for years in Canada before moving the U.S. and never had any issues. Frustrated to be beholden to these crooks again.

Post Edited (jfk3253) : 4/20/2013 11:00:15 PM (GMT-6)

generic mesalamine has NOT been available in Canada for YEARS...I don't even think it's been 6 months yet.

q

I was just prescribed Pentasa. We just reached our deductible, so the Asacol was only about $50.00. Now the Pentasa is over $300 with a deductible. Come Jan. 1, 2014, and I'm back to high deductible again...I will be paying over $2000.00. Asacol was $500.00. Now that's ridiculous.

The saddest part is that I'm 54 yrs old and take no other meds. If I was on blood pressure, cholesteral, or diabetes meds, I'd pay little or nothing for my meds. I've taken good care of myself, so I don't have to take these type of meds. Just meds for Ulcerative Colitis and I'm being ripped off because I have a chronic illness that has nothing to do with how I manage my lifestyle.

To the representatives of Warner Chilcott and Shire -- I know you read these forums. The people who read and participate in this forum are not stupid people -- we know money is the true culprit behind the change. Even the pharmacist's are on to you! Try helping people -- not gouging them.

I have been using the Asacol for 13 years now 400mg 2x6tabs & just had to change to Balsalazide 400mg 3x4tabs. The Dr. started me on 3x3tabs & increased when that was not working. The Asacol worked great for me but since I have started taking the Balsalazide I am having trouble. I am going to see Dr. tomorrow so I am hoping that he can either adjust or put me on another medication that may work better. Insurance was not going to cover Asacol even before discontinuation so they probably won't cover Delzicol either. I am going to check it out though.

I guess I am lucky that somehow my insurance is covering the Delzicol and also didn't object (so far) to filling a new 90 day Rx (this is the mail order pharmacy that the insurance company requires I use. extremely wasteful!!)
However I am wondering whether anyone has learned whether the new capsules really serve any purpose, or is it OK just to take the little pills out of the new plastic capsule and use them just like to old Asacol? They are smaller and easier to swallow and actually fit in my little 7-day weekly pill box (NO way to put 9 Delzicol capsules in the little boxes)
Are these capsules just a way to extend the patent on the medicine or do they really protect us from something?? (or maybe are they even more harmful, since it just seems as though we are digesting more plastic!)