In this list I would only buy from companies that also sell in Europe and the US. Higher standards.
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Yes - that is probably a good idea, but it takes a little more research to figure out those companies that do sell to Western Europe and USA. I’d guess that its these from the top of my head, but if anyone knows better, please post:
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Also - some general information to help people understand the Pharma business and how it impacts us:
An example of the pricing differentials around the world for one, probably representative, drug (the Epipen):
What the global pharmaceutical industry looks like from a market capitalization perspective:
Note: I don’t think market capitalization is a very good measure of much (for consumers) regarding Pharma companies. Much better would be unit sales and quality history, but that data is much harder to find or obtain.
Source: https://www.visualcapitalist.com
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Epipens cost as little as $56/pen in the US, without insurance:
Epipens are twice as expensive in Canada:
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Lupin is also massive in the US: Lupin Limited - Wikipedia
And Aurobindo has apparently a strong presence in the US and Europe: https://www.fiercepharma.com/pharma/top-10-generic-drugmakers-2021-revenue
Also, with the exception of Intas, which is private, all the above companies are traded on the New York Stock Exchange. So they have the constant scrutiny of the markets.
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For any Aussies, I just received 250 x 1mg Biocon Rapacan from Kunal at https://www.safeoverseas.in/
for US$215 including delivery. Fast postage, great communication and tracking updates and made it straight through customs.
Highly recommend and much cheaper than All Day Chemist where I purchased prior.
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FWIW
Received a marketing email today 04/05/2024
“50 x 1mg Film Coated Rapamycin (Sirolimus nanoparticles) Tablets”
RapaPro brand, manufacturer in India.
$70.00
I do not have any financial interest in this organization.
I’ve just discovered that CVS is now offering Sirolimus for a little over $1 per mg, via GoodRx coupon. This is 1/5 the price they were in Dec 2021, and 1/3 of the Kroger’s price then and now. To me this is big news- means I can buy from US pharmacies rather than using the India crap-shoot route (just got another India order returned by Canada Customs).
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Who are you getting your prescription from and does it contain refill options?
Dr Alan Green, and yes.
He’s great. In-person visit required initially (Little Neck, NY on Long Island), but subsequent consultations can be on Zoom. Very reasonable cost.
It’s a good idea to be under some kind of supervision by a doctor, and Dr Green is pretty much the world expert, with over 1500 patients now. He requires blood tests prior to your visit, which makes sense. He is thorough.
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In the North New Jersey area on 04/13/2024
GoodRx produced a discount code for generic rapamycin/sirolimus 180 X 1mg tables for $111.00 paying out of pocket with discount code
Less than .62¢ per mg
Yes, you would require a prescription.
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India still makes sense if you need to get other, still expensive medications such as an SGLT2I or Bempedoic Acid.
However it’s great to have a local source for Sirolimus. Thanks for sharing.
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TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE???
I went to Goodrx and with their coupon it says I can buy 180 pills at CVS for $110.
They sent the coupon to my mailbox.
The other pharmacies were much more, even if not crazy.
Am I missing something ??? I’ve never used good rx. I assume it’s just a first time user coupon/promo?
Do I need to make sure CVS uses a good quality generic sourced from the right place?
Or do I just not look a gift horse in the mouth?
THANK YOU!!
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No - anyone can create a GoodRX account, and you get a GoodRX number that you present when you buy at one of the pharmacies, and you get the discount. Its easy.
Any generic from a regular pharmacy like CVS, Walgreens, etc. is fine. Its the compounding pharmacy products you want to be careful with and which have a history of not being very bioavailable.
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Wow, grateful for your list of where to buy! I bought my first 24 pills for $239! You’ve saved me a fortune! Thx!
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Prices from Forveda as of May:
Siromus 1mg by Zydus @ 5.5 USD per strip (6 tablets)
Rapacan (Siromus 1mg) by Biocon @ 5 USD per strip (10 tablets)
Bempedoic acid (180mg) + Ezetimibe (10mg) tablets costing
135 USD for 20 strips (200 tablets) and
240 USD for 40 strips (400 tablets).
Metformin 1 gm SR @ 1 USD per strip (10 tablets)
Glucobay 50 mg @ 2.5 USD per strip (10 tablets)
EMS Shipping charges 40 USD for up to 400 tablets are high, but Forveda has a virtual US bank so the ACH transfer fees are free for most US banks.
I’ve been messaging Girish Bhattad via IndiaMart, and he’s quick to reply. I placed my first order in early April and although he shipped within 2 days of payment, it took 4 weeks to be delivered to the US.
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I wrote to him a week ago, no response (yet). It’s a 5-hour drive for me, but I’d do it. Fascinating fellow, my first response was: “Uh, you don’t look so good…” But then I understood that normally he’d be dead from a rare genetic cardiac issue that killed two others in his family." What’d he cost, if you are willing to say?
It’s $400 for the initial visit now- was $300ish in 2021.
It was an 8 hour drive for me, plus a border crossing, plus Covid testing to get back across, back then. Definitely worth it. Got me started, and I’ve had a follow-up Zoom since, which costs less.
On his web site, search for “Office Protocol”. It’s about a third of the way down the site, which is many screens down, at it has details.
He does say: “ The office runs on E-mails. Telephone calls are scheduled. I don’t do cold calls.**
To schedule an appointment, send an email. I see patients every weekday, 11 a.m. to evening as needed.
**I have far more time to respond to emails on Saturday and Sunday. These are the best days to send E-mails and if I failed to respond to your E-mail, the same day you sent it; please resend it on Saturday or Sunday and note that follow-up E-mail.”
So send an email today, (Sunday), you should get a reply.
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