Following
is an excerpt from the recent BI announcement:
Boehringer
Ingelheim Launches Co-Pay Rebate Program for Viramune
Viramune
Co-Pay Savings Program Allows Immediate Rebate Authorization
at Point-of-Purchase with MasterCard Debit Card
Ridgefield,
CT -- October 6, 2009 -- Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals,
Inc. today announced the launch of the Viramune (nevirapine)
tablets/oral suspension Co-Pay Savings Program, a special
program that will allow patients to save up to $50 on their
health insurance co-payment on every monthly refill of a
Viramune prescription for up to one year. Any patient with
a Viramune prescription who has health insurance coverage
requiring a patient co-payment is eligible for the program.
A
valuable feature of the program is the use of a MasterCard
debit card that is solely dedicated to the purchase of a
Viramune prescription, which can be used at any pharmacy
that accepts MasterCard. The up to $50 rebate will be credited
to the patient at the point-of-purchase as quickly as any
MasterCard transaction.
"There
is a growing reliance by patients on co-pay and patient
assistance programs offered by pharmaceutical companies
and this rebate program makes it easier for HIV/AIDS patients
to benefit," said Albert Ros, executive vice president
of Sales and Marketing, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals,
Inc. "Initiatives to ease the financial burden of health
insurance co-payment for HIV/AIDS patients such as this
one underscore our commitment to helping patients obtain
the care and treatment they need."
Patients
can obtain the Viramune Co-Pay Savings Card through their
healthcare providers. Patients need to activate their card
by calling a toll-free hotline at 1-888-99-VIRAMUNE (1-888-998-4726)
or logging onto www.viramune.com.
In
addition, as part of the activation process patients can
also enroll to receive free educational information and
support from the Vlife on Therapy program.
Once
activated, the Viramune Co-Pay Savings Card can be presented,
together with a Viramune prescription, at any pharmacy that
accepts MasterCard. The card will immediately deduct up
to $50 from the co-payment for Viramune.
The
Viramune Co-Pay Savings Card will also be accepted at mail
order pharmacies.
Boehringer
Ingelheim Patient Assistance Program
Boehringer
Ingelheim is committed to ensuring that patients who need
Viramune have access to the medication. The Boehringer Ingelheim
Cares Foundation Patient Assistance Program (BI PAP) provides
Boehringer Ingelheim medications free of charge to eligible
patients in financial need, including those without prescription
drug coverage and low-income Medicare beneficiaries. Patients
in need of Viramune (nevirapine) tablets/oral suspension
should call 800-556-8317 to speak with a program representative
or visit www.RxHope.com
for information about the BI PAP including eligibility criteria
and program applications.
Viramune
Important Safety Information
Viramune
is indicated for use in combination with other antiretroviral
agents for the treatment of HIV infection.
Viramune
does not cure HIV or AIDS, and has not been shown to reduce
the risk of passing HIV to others through sexual contact
or blood contamination.
Viramune
can cause severe liver disease and skin reactions that can
cause death. These reactions occur most often during the
first 18 weeks of treatment, but can occur later. Patients
need to ask their [healthcare provider] about how to recognize
symptoms of skin and liver problems. Viramune should be
discontinued and not restarted in patients who have any
of these reactions.
Any
patient can experience liver problems with Viramune, but
women and patients who have higher CD4+ counts when they
begin Viramune treatment have a greater risk. A woman with
CD4+ > 250 cells/mm3, or a man with CD4+ > 400 cells/mm3
should not begin taking Viramune unless they and their [healthcare
provider] have decided that the benefit of doing so outweighs
the risk. Women, including pregnant women, with CD4+ cell
counts > 250 cells/mm3 are at the greatest risk.
Do
not take Viramune if you have severe liver problems.
The
dose of Viramune for adults is one 200 mg tablet daily for
the first 14 days, followed by one 200 mg tablet twice daily.
Viramune is always taken with other anti-HIV medications.
The 14-day lead-in period is important because it can help
reduce your chances of getting a potentially serious skin
rash. Patients who have a skin rash during the first 14
days should immediately contact their [healthcare provider]
and not increase their Viramune dose to twice a day. The
total duration of the once-daily lead-in dosing period should
not exceed 28 days, at which point an alternative regimen
may need to be started.
Other
side effects that patients have experienced include nausea,
fatigue, fever, headache, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal
pain, and myalgia. Changes in body fat may occur in patients
receiving antiretroviral therapy. Immune reconstitution
syndrome has been reported in patients treated with combination
[antiretroviral] therapy.
Please
see full Prescribing Information, including boxed WARNING,
for Viramune at www.Viramune.com.
For
more information, please visit http://us.boehringer-ingelheim.com.
10/09/09
Source
Boehringer
Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Boehringer Ingelheim Launches
Co-Pay Rebate Program for Viramune. Press release.
October 6, 2009.
