Seroflo= Generic Advair

This is coming at the tail end of the fracas, I know. I wish to address the idea that GSK needs to be reimbursed for their research. I was on beta-agonists (long acting and rescue inhaler) and steroid inhalers back in the eighties. They were in the $20-$30 neighborhood for the name brands at the time, and they were prescribed separately. My cost was less, as back in the day, I had a job with insurance. Now, the (ridiculous, misguided) feds have outlawed the inhalers, which otherwise would be generic, and I'm stuck with this absurd discus thingy at almost $300 a pop - extending the patent to 30+ years.
Now, who did GSK do their research on? Me. Without my knowledge or consent. Say what? Did they cut me a check? No. Did they put my life at risk? Yep. That's right, the doctors, at the behest of the pharma reps put thousands of people on an untried regime. And it worked out. YAY. Their gamble with my life paid - for them.
BTW, most of the cost of basic science is underwritten with public money - it's a giant subsidy to pharma. Most research is carried out at public universities - at the public expense. Pharma handles the marketing. That's their real agenda. It ain't your health.
So now, there's the exact same two drugs in purple plastic thingy that costs 30 times more. The research was done - decades ago, by unknowing human gunea pigs. Why the cost increase? In the rest of the world GSK markets the same drugs under different names, at different costs. Its just what the market will bear. Buy it from overseas, do what you need to do. But don't listen to the fear mongering. Pharma cares nothing at all about you.

 

Ask your doctor about the aerosol version of Advair. It's manufactured right here in the USA (and FDA approved) by the same folks that make the discus version of Advair.

 

Seroflo although touted as a generic for Advair didn't work for me. Had to go back to Advair.

 

I have a prescription plan called planrx. I ordered advair from them. They needed a prescription from my doctor before they could even process my order. I received my order and when I opened my package up I was surprised to see seroflo instead of advair. I guess this is how companies can offer a cheaper verson of advair, by not telling you how they are sending a generic. It is cheap though! I am extremely happy I found this plan. My only concern is having an allergic reaction to it or something worse.

 

I've had great luck with the seroflo. It not only saves me over $200 a month directly, it also eliminates that trip to the doctor every 90 days because they "can't" refill my prescription without seeing me.

 

Does anyone actually know the real date that Advair's patent expires in the U.S.?

 

I currently use Seroflo in stead of Advair because of the cost. Advair is not available as a generic in the US, so it is VERY EXPENSIVE and often not covered by insurance (until you meet a deductable, usually $500+). Seroflo is available via online pharmacies. The active ingredients in Seroflo are identical to Advair. Advair is only under patent because of the packaging, not the actual drug itself. It's a way for pharmaceutical companies to bleed people dry of money.

 

gsk is a MASTER of bleeding people dry!!! Both patients and employees

 

I have been using seroflo rotohaler 250 for six months now i was paying $263 per for advair
one month now i pay $46 per month

 

Correction - the drugs in the original Diskus are not generic, they are still branded although the patent has expired on the individual components.

 

While drug costs are high, lets not pretend that almost every company out there doesnt make as much profit as possible. Including whatever company you work for. Cell phones?? Gas and Electric co ??? How about going to Lowes or Home Depot or Best Buy and paying them big cash to install items in your home??? Easily 50% of the time its done incorrectly with nobody taking any blame. How about the local Pizza shop, 10 cents at cost for the fountain drink and 2 bucks for the pizza and you pay 20 or 25 dollars. Its a shame but its free enterprise.
As far as drugs are concerned check into Togetther RX program for added help.

 

You sell Advair.......well your a crook.....and overpaid

 

The facts, from Big Pharma's own public documents:

GSK's markup on Flonase was 98%, and 95% on Advair.

Cipla makes the same active ingredient - fluticasone propionate - in the FDA-approved generic Flonase by Roxane that goes into their own generic Advair.

R&D costs for Big Pharma?? Huge laugh!! Merck spent $20 million on Vioxx - mostly for marketing-related studies - and had sales in the Billions. GSK spent less than $20 Million on Advair (remember, it is just a combo drug of two long-expired patents, a frequent dodge Big Pharma uses to extend drugs that are going off-patent), and it is a SIX BILLION A YEAR drug for them. They are doing everything legal and illegal they can do to hang onto US exclusivity, since 80% of the profit is here. Even filed a phony citizen petition in December 09 - just like the tactic they used to delay generic Flonase for two extra years - because they were worried about Sandoz coming to market with a Gyrohaler device that is better than Diskus. So the FDA will be tied up with that petition for years...

Go, buy Cipla's version - equivalent in EVERY important way. Tell GSK to F Off.

 

Re: the great invalid analogy

I live in Florida and have health insurance and very limited income. Since I'm not yet of medicare age, I don't qualify. However my insurance dropped "name brand" RXs and dosen't cover Advair. Advair cost $205 a months supply at walgreens. Three years ago I started ordering seroflo at $130 for a three month supply. I find it to work as well as advair with no adverse effects. I have also contacted my congressman about the gouging of our citizens. I could go on and on. The bottom line is I can afford Seroflo and it keeps me breathing and functioning. Nothing else said here is important.

 

Well, seems Sereflo is now getting on a large scale ..

French infos at http://www.blog-export.fr/BlogDetails.aspx?pi=2744

Us vs at http://bit.ly/j4Sx0A

All the best

Clarence

 

I am a Doctor in the US, I am american, I have been to INdia to see some of these drugs made, Seroflo is 100% safe if taken as prescribed. Its all about the money, Thats why they dont want you buying it from outside the US. If it was me and pay 30 for Seroflo verses 100 for Advair Just guess which one I am going to buy.

 

I see that nothing has changed. People have been complaining about the cost of Advair for years and still no generic is available in the US! My husband has asthma. Advair works well for him, and when he has health insurance it is NBD. He, like many other Americans in the last 2 years, got laid off a few weeks ago. He found another job quickly, but isn't eligible for health insurance for a couple months still. I can't put him on mine because he did find another job so they don't consider him eligible and won't make the change until the next enrollment period in August! We have a couple kids and pay all our bills. We don't qualify for prescription assistance (too much money) and can't afford to pay cash without seriously denting our budget (too little money). We are the working, middle class poor when it comes to this!

Politically, I'm pretty libertarian. I'm totally content with letting someone make a buck if they can make a better product. Limiting competition, however, I'm against. How are you going to charge whatever you want and then make it illegal for someone to undercut you? That's competition! We should be allowed to make our own decisions about who we want to buy from. Sigh.

I came here looking for info on the generics I found online from other countries. I'm not in favor of ordering from them. I would always rather keep my money in the US. I will if I have to, though. I shouldn't have to fear getting behind on my utilities or house just to pay for medicine my husband needs to live. Thank you to all the people who offered real insight on the safety of these drugs available from other countries. Thank you to all the drug reps who offered their insight on why the prices are what they are. I've gotten quite an education!

To the flamers and trolls, however, back under your bridges! Learn to respond thoughtfully rather than emotionally!

 

My Mom takes the Seraflow and says she thinks it works better a tad bit and doesnt give her thrush like the advair did.. she gets it from Canada and it saves her hundreds of dollars and when my Mother dors pass it will be from her Emphysema not asthma so needless to say she is a patient on many meds on medicaire and her meds are thousands of dollars a year even with insurance thats why she goes where she can get the best deal.. my dad researches it and makes sure they are reputibla companies! Nuff said!

 

Also.. the drug companies have a patent on thier drugs..therefore depending on the amount of years the patent holds..when the patent runs out then its a green light for companies to make generics.. plain and simple if you think about it!!! Hello! .