With Provigil going generic in 2012, Cephalon is looking to replace that lost revenue.
Enter Nuvigil.
The drug company is trying to add a new indication, that is, “curing” jet lag, to give it a leg up over its predecessor.
That, and also drastically hiking the price of Provigil, may entice doctors to make the switch to the newer medication prior to patent expiration.
But, is jet lag another in the line of lifestyle conditions that pharmaceutical companies are manufacturing for their drugs?
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{ 4 comments }
Not everyone has the luxury of being able to pad travel schedules with acclimation days; as someone who has had grievous cognitive lapses due to disrupted sleep schedules when traveling, I welcome this indication. The $8 for a Provigil/Nuvigil tablet is a fraction of the damage I can cause if I’m off my game and trying to think through that fog. Yes, proper sleep hygiene, less-punishing travel schedules, teleconferences and other techniques can improve jet lag function, but when you’re moving through 12 time zones in a week, you’re a mess.
I make my (real, non-caregiving) living specifically through being able to think clearly and confidently in stressful situations – these agents are a godsend. From a social perspective, being in-phase with friends and loved ones when I get back is truly invaluable.
E
I often prescribe provigil for patients receiving cancer care. It can alleviate cancer-related fatigue in many patients. But I draw the line at marketing or aiming for a new indication such as ‘jet-lag’. Off label use, yes. Formal medical indication, no. At least with the current indication there are DSM codes that are being treated. Is jet-lag a disease or condition? And if it is I have the cure…don’t fly. Seriously though this is pushing it and overall it does not reflect well upon the Pharma Industry.
Dr. Tucker,
The jet lag indication is a small piece of the slimy business that is Provigil/Nuvigil. The Provigil price increase mentioned by KMD is Cephalon’s attempt to foist patients onto their blatant patent extender. KMD also didn’t mention that they’re pursuing other questionable indications including bipolar disorder and cognitive deficits in schizophrenia. The least-bad thing I can say about this business is that Cephalon certainly isn’t the only company doing it for a cheap and easy 10 years of patent protection – see venlafaxine/desvenlafaxine, cetirizine/levocetirizine, risperidone/paliperidone just to name a few. As far as I know they’ve been the only organization with the gall to actually increase the price of their old drug, though.
I don’t know about you guys but I’ve had enough with the trivial patent extenders, “me too” drugs, and scattershot indication farming.
I hate the shamelessness with which Cephalon is ratcheting up the price of Provigil to “encourage” the switch to Nuvigil. They’ve also made slimy deals with potential generic marketers, and let us not forget that Provigil is nothing but a sleazy patent dodge from Olmifon, which is the prodrug of modafinil.
That said, clarity is worth $8/tablet. Think of it like two lattes without the fat and sugar.
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