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Genentech Announces Additional Effort to Support Patient Access
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| Copyright: | PR Newswire | | Source: | PR Newswire | | Wordcount: | 763 |
SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., Feb. 14 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Genentech,
Inc. (NYSE: DNA) today announced the expansion of its current patient
assistance program, the Genentech Access to Care Foundation (GATCF), to help
address the needs of financially eligible Medicare beneficiaries enrolled in
Part D who are prescribed Tarceva(R) (erlotinib).
The expansion allows financially eligible patients enrolled in a Medicare
Part D prescription drug plan to receive assistance for Tarceva from
Genentech -- outside of their Part D plan. For more information on potential
assistance options, please call (888) 249-4918 or visit
http://www.SPOConline.com. Tarceva is a once-a-day pill approved for locally
advanced or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer after failure of at least
one prior chemotherapy regimen, and in combination with gemcitabine
chemotherapy for the first-line treatment of patients with locally advanced,
unresectable or metastatic pancreatic cancer.
The expansion is designed to help financially needy patients enrolled in
Medicare Part D plans, and it is part of Genentech's ongoing efforts to ensure
that no patient goes without a Genentech therapy because of an inability to
pay. This expansion is especially important for Part D enrollees who may be
affected by the annual coverage gap, commonly referred to as the "doughnut
hole." Under the standard Medicare plan, federal payments for drug purchases
stop when total Part D drug spending reaches the limit of $2,400. At that
point beneficiaries confront the doughnut hole and must pay 100 percent of
costs until they have spent a total of $3,850 of their own money. The federal
subsidy then resumes, paying 95 percent of any additional expenses.
"We are very pleased with the steps Genentech is taking to help some of
the most vulnerable people with Medicare by ensuring they will be able to
access the medicines they need," said Leslie V. Norwalk, Acting Administrator
of the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). "It's a win-win for
patients: the benefits of drug coverage plus additional assistance from
manufacturers for those most in need."
Under the GATCF expansion, eligible patients will receive Tarceva from
GATCF for free. In order to ensure that a patient's Part D prescription drug
plan does not incur the costs of Tarceva, Genentech worked with the Centers
for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to enter into a data sharing
agreement, which will facilitate the notification of Part D plans whose
patients have enrolled in the Tarceva GATCF expansion.
"There are many barriers to accessing cancer drug treatment that may
affect patients, and Genentech is committed to developing tailored solutions
to help address financial barriers. This agreement between Genentech and CMS
is also an example of how government and industry can work together to meet
patients' needs," said Alexander Hardy, Head of Reimbursement, Managed Care
and Customer Operations at Genentech.
"This program represents an important step for patients who may otherwise
be unable to follow their doctors' treatment recommendations," said Kim
Thiboldeaux, President and Chief Executive Officer of The Wellness Community.
"We commend Genentech's continued work towards ensuring access to necessary
therapies."
About Genentech's Commitment to Patient Access
Genentech is committed to eligible patients having access to our
therapies. For those eligible patients treated for approved indications in the
United States who do not have insurance or who cannot afford their
out-of-pocket co-pay costs, Genentech has several support programs. Since
1985, Genentech has donated free product to uninsured patients and those
deemed uninsured due to payor denial through its Genentech(R) Access to Care
Foundation (GATCF) and the Genentech Endowment for Cystic Fibrosis. In 2006
alone, GATCF supported over 14,000 patients by providing approximately $205
million of free product. Since 2005, Genentech has donated approximately $70
million to various independent public charities that provide financial
assistance to eligible patients who cannot access needed medical treatment due
to co-pay costs. Through its Single Point of Contact (SPOC) program, Genentech
provides patients with assistance and information on a broad array of
reimbursement services and support.
About Genentech
Founded more than 30 years ago, Genentech is a leading biotechnology
company that discovers, develops, manufactures, and commercializes
biotherapeutics for significant unmet medical needs. A considerable number of
the currently approved biotechnology products originated from or are based on
Genentech science. Genentech manufactures and commercializes multiple
biotechnology products and licenses several additional products to other
companies. The company has headquarters in South San Francisco, California and
is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol DNA. For additional
information about the company, please visit http://www.gene.com.
Media Contact: Robin Snyder 650-467-7152
Investor Contact: Susan Morris 650-225-6523
SOURCE Genentech, Inc.
CONTACT: media, Robin Snyder, +1-650-467-7152, or investors, Susan Morris, +1-650-225-6523, both for Genentech
This is a news service of Thomson Business Intelligence Service ©2006. This content is for your personal use only, subject to Terms and Conditions. No redistribution allowed.
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