Titan Pharmaceuticals Inc (TTNP)

[Rentier]

Oh, it is so subjective. For example, I know someone who just had to start taking Otezla for plaque psoriasis. Willing to take a gander on how much it costs? How about $3,700 a month for 2 pills a day! They can only get it filled in 30 day amounts and their insurance company United Healthcare has program with drug manufacture where it only cost them about $2600 a month and the manufacture rebates the other $1,100. The prescription has to be filled through this program, they can't go to say Canada where the drug is 1/3 the cost and get it filled. There are lower tier drugs this person could take, but there is liver indication for them and this person likes to drink on the weekends so taking the lower tier drug is bad idea. Oh and Otezla booked $305 million in sales in Q4 of last year it has only been out since 2014(Q4 of 2014 had $47 million in sales). Oh and this is maintenance drug it doesn't cure you...

Basically insurance companies are going to require a prior auth. anytime Dr. writes for a drug and there is a generic version available. Or also in the case of say like Flonase or Nasacort? Why? Because you can get it as prescription or over the counter now both are the same strength for those two drugs. But, your health insurance company is going to flag it if a prescription is written for it and request prior auth. which many will reject so you the patient has to pay for it over the counter vs. the insurance company paying for it.

There is no way injectable will be as cheap as pill. Each injection the Dr. be charging for office visit on top of the drug.