oracea in Oz?

[Lilaavati]

Been searching the archives but can't find anything here or via Google about this, so thought I'd just ask.

Looking at being out in Australia for a while (in a LDR and we're debating whose going to move), but oracea does not appear to be available over there and it appears that 50mg is the lowest dose of doxy available. I've experienced side effects from the doxy at 50mg, but no side effects with the 40mg slow release... so a little concerned about not being able to find it there. Does anyone have any news or info as to why oracea hasn't made it over there yet or as to when it is expected to be released over there? I saw Galderma managed to trademark the name, but that was it. I don't mind taking generic doxy, but 50 mg is too high for me to use on a daily basis.

Thank you in advance to anyone that has any information!

[David Pascoe]

I can only offer bad news.

I doubt that Oracea will ever become available in Australia.

To be a viable (as in make enough money for the manufacturers) a prescription drug would need to be listed on the PBS - the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme. This means that the government would pay the difference between around $20 per prescription fill and the real cost. This is what keeps drugs affordable in Australia. Oracea will find it very hard to get on this list. Without being on the PBS it would need to be sold for the full cost price without the PBS subsidy. (actually From 1 January 2012, you pay up to $35.40 for most PBS medicines or $5.80 if you have a concession card. The Australian Government pays the remaining cost. You need to be eligible for a Medicare Card to use the PBS)

Now, to get on the PBS it would need to be shown that Oracea is unique and offers a therapeutic benefit not offered by any other drug. The uniqueness would need to convince the federal government that it worth funding the subsidy for all Australians. Given that generic doxycycline is so cheap and so easily available and so close to Oracea, it, in my opinion will not be able to get listed on the PBS.

So you will need to make other arrangements either to bring enough or try to reduce the dose of the 50mg if that is possible?

dp.

[Lilaavati]

Thanks for the info David. It is good to have the heads up and something I will take into consideration if a move becomes a possibility one day.

Do you know if 50mg is regularly prescribed to people there on a long term (i.e. permanent) basis? I have never had a dermatologist offer that here because of the fear of antibiotic resistance (and probably cause galderma gives them oodles of goodies), but seems like 50mg would work just the same as oracea (it is the same drug after all) if one was able to grind up the pills and re-weigh or guess-timate the smaller amount.

[David Pascoe]

I was on 50mg a day of generic doxy for a few years with no problems. I was coming down from a higher dose and had the idea of tapering down. I went to 50mg every other day and was then eventually able to stop them altogether.

The particular prescription was 25 x 50mg capsules, with 4 repeats so I could go for almost 5 months before needing to return to the doctor. He was happy to keep this us for a few years as it was such a low dose and I continued to get a benefit as going cold turkey was still resulting in the return of symptoms. So yes, longer term antibiotics is a done thing with the support of your GP.

It was capsules I think, making it hard to reduce the dose yourself.

all the best,
dp.