Cost of Aromasin (exemestane) w/o insurance

Hi Mary,

From our main Breastcancer.org site on the Tips to Lower Medicine Costs page:

Pfizer, which makes Aromasin (chemical name: exemestane) and Ellence (chemical name: epirubicin), offers FirstRESOURCE, 1-877-744-5675. Pfizer also sponsors Pfizer Pfriends. Call 1-866-776-3700 for more information.

Hope this helps!

--The Mods

Arimidex (anastrozole) went generic in 2009 or 2010, and the costs are all over the map -- I pay about $55 for 90 days at Costco, Target wants about $280.  Check out Aromasin at Costco!

Sounds like you're set but as an FYI another option are the Rx discount programs. I know AAA (the car company) has one with Walgreens (maybe other drug store too) Lots of random groups offer these plans. I just noticed that my city has one too.

Have you and your onc discussed the possibility of being on one of the AIs that has already gone to generic?

Femara is a lot less, I know.

Maybe you could switch to Aromasin when it becomes generic.

That's a lot of money

My experience with Arimidex was that although it had gone generic, there generally is a leadtime until there are enough new companies out there manufacturing the drugs to get enough of the generic into the system.  SO, when I was put on Arimidex, I called around and found:

Brand name, no insurance would be about $620/month; I have good insurance and if only the brand name was available I'd owe about 1/3 (about $210/month) copay.  If I could find it's generic (anastrazole?) I'd pay $10/month.  However, the drugstores, even if they had the generic had the ability to charge more than when it would become more plentiful.

Calling around I found the mainstream CVS/Rite Aid/Walgreens could not keep enough of the generic on hand.  I went to Costco and they would have charged $24/month but the pharmacist came over and said that they were sorry they could take no more orders for that drug.  There was a 6 month backlog in ability to get the drug, either the brand or its generic.  I lucked out in that a local Walmart seemed to get in a huge supply and now it seems that the generic is available many more places.   So, I now can receive  generic Arimidex for $10/month - huge difference btwn it and the cost of the brand name (either with or w/o insurance)! 

MaryNY - You hit the nail on the head - a drug going generic means nothing if there's not enough of it out in the system.   Yep, all about supply and demand.  I never experienced this until I was put on Arimidex - prior to that most drugs I took were already generic and had been for some time.  But most other drugs I was on didn't have the implications or importance to me that Arimidex holds so maybe it's always been like this and I never noticed!

It has been a while since this thread has been updated. My mom will be starting Aromasin (chemical name: exemestane) soon after she takes a break from chemotherapy. Since Letrozole failed on her last year, that's why Exemestane will be the next drug that she will be using.

We were told that each pill is about 7.38 USD (I'm converting this to USD so that it's easier to relate).

One month supply will be easily 7.38 x 30 = $221.40.

Wow that is pricey. Tamoxifen only cost me $4.00 a month with insurance.

Diane