Getting Started With Esbriet® (pirfenidone)

You’ve Been Prescribed Esbriet. What’s Next?

Knowing what to expect can make all the difference

Esbriet may be different from other medicines you’ve taken in the past because it is considered a specialty medicine. This means that the medicine gets delivered to your home by a specialty pharmacy. Before that happens, there are a few steps you should complete.

Our team is here to help you get started and support you every step of the way.

3 Steps for Starting Your Esbriet Treatment

1. Sign up for free support every step of the way

The Esbriet Inspiration Program^™ is a free resource designed to help you as you start and continue on your treatment journey.

When you sign up with the Esbriet Inspiration Program, you will have access to one-on-one educational sessions about IPF, treatment with Esbriet, and financial assistance options.*

You will receive encouragement and inspiration for living with IPF from other people taking Esbriet.

Clinical Education Managers are Genentech employees who educate about IPF and Esbriet. The support line is sponsored by Genentech. They do not provide medical advice to patients. If you have questions about your health or treatment, you are encouraged to contact your healthcare provider.

2. Confirm your coverage and learn about assistance options

You are not alone. Many people have concerns about treatment costs. It is important you understand your specific health insurance benefits and plan restrictions.

Even with health insurance, you might feel concerned about the cost of your treatment. If you are eligible, there may be ways to help you pay for your Esbriet:

Independent co-pay assistance foundations*
Extra Help program from Medicare^†
The Esbriet $5 Co-pay Program^‡§
The Genentech Patient Foundation^‖

Genentech Access Solutions is a program that helps people who are taking Esbriet. It can find out:

If your health insurance covers your Esbriet
How much your co-pay will be
Which patient assistance option may be right for you

3. Schedule your Esbriet delivery

Esbriet might be a little different from other medicines you’ve taken. You won’t pick your prescription up from your local drugstore—instead, a specialty pharmacy delivers Esbriet to your home.

Be sure to answer or return calls from your specialty pharmacy
Your specialty pharmacy will call up to 3 times to schedule the shipment for a time when you will be home

NEXT: How to take Esbriet

*Independent co-pay assistance foundations have their own rules for eligibility. Genentech has no involvement or influence in independent foundation decision-making or eligibility criteria and does not know if a foundation will be able to help you. We can only refer you to a foundation that supports your disease state. Genentech does not endorse or show preference for any particular foundation. The foundations we refer you to may not be the only ones that might be able to help you.

^†The Medicare Extra Help program is not a Genentech program. It is administered by the Social Security Administration. The co-pay amount for Medicare Extra Help changes each year.

^‡This Esbriet $5 Co-pay Program is valid ONLY for patients with commercial insurance who have a valid prescription for a Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved indication of a Genentech medication. Patients using Medicare, Medicaid or any other federal or state government program to pay for their medications are not eligible.

Under the Program, the patient may pay a co-pay. The final amount owed by a patient may be as little as $5 for the Genentech medicine (see Program specific details). The total patient out-of-pocket cost is dependent on the patient's health insurance plan. The Program assists with the cost of the Genentech medicine only. It does not assist with the cost of other medicines, procedures or office visit fees. After reaching the maximum annual Program benefit amount, the patient will be responsible for all remaining out-of-pocket expenses. The Program benefit amount cannot exceed the patient's out-of-pocket expenses for the cost associated with the Genentech medicine.

The amount of the Program benefit cannot exceed the patients’ out-of-pocket expenses for the cost associated with Esbriet.

All participants are responsible for reporting the receipt of all Program benefits as required by any insurer or by law. The Program is only valid in the United States and U.S. Territories, is void where prohibited by law and shall follow state restrictions in relation to AB-rated generic equivalents (e.g., MA, CA) where applicable. No party may seek reimbursement for all or any part of the benefit received through the Program. The Program is intended for the patient. Only the patient using the Program may receive the funds made available through the Program. The Program is not intended for third parties who reduce the amount available to the patient or take a portion for their own purposes. Patients with health plans that redirect Genentech Program assistance intended for patient out-of-pocket costs may be subject to alternate Program benefit structures. Genentech reserves the right to rescind, revoke or amend the Program without notice at any time. Additional terms and conditions apply Please visit EsbrietCopay.com for the full list of Terms and Conditions.

^§Eligible patients will pay as little as $5 per valid prescription, subject to a maximum benefit of $25,000 for a 12-month period.

^‖If you have health insurance, you should try to get other types of financial assistance, if available. You also need to meet income requirements. If you do not have insurance, or if your insurance does not cover your Genentech medicine, you must meet a different set of income requirements.

About Esbriet

Esbriet^® (pirfenidone) is a prescription medicine used to treat people with a lung disease called idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF).

It is not known if Esbriet is safe and effective in children.

Before you take Esbriet, tell your doctor if you:

have other medical conditions (particularly liver or kidney problems).
are a smoker.
are or plan to become pregnant or breastfeed (Esbriet has not been studied in these patients).
are taking any prescription or over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, or herbal supplements.

What are the possible side effects of Esbriet?

Esbriet may cause serious side effects, including:

liver problems. Call your doctor if you have symptoms such as yellowing of your skin or eyes, dark or brown urine, pain on the upper right side of your stomach area, bleeding or bruising more easily than normal, or increased fatigue. Your doctor will also do regular blood tests to check your liver.
sun sensitivity and rash. When you are outside, use sunscreen (SPF 50) and wear a hat and clothes that cover your skin to avoid getting a sunburn.
severe skin reactions. Call your doctor right away if you have a severe skin reaction such as skin blisters, rash, sores in the mouth, hives or any other severe skin symptoms.
stomach problems. Esbriet may cause stomach problems such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, indigestion, heartburn, and stomach pain.

Your doctor may change your dose or discontinue Esbriet if side effects do not go away.

The most common side effects of Esbriet include upper respiratory tract infections, feeling tired, headache, dizziness, loss of appetite, sinusitis, insomnia, or weight loss.

These are not all the possible side effects of Esbriet.

What should you avoid while taking Esbriet?

Direct exposure to sunlight, or light from sunlamps and tanning beds.
Other medicines that can make your skin sensitive to sunlight.
Smoking, which may affect how well Esbriet works.

Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to the FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088 or www.fda.gov/medwatch or to Genentech at 1-888-835-2555.

Please see full Prescribing Information, including Patient Information, for additional important safety information.

TOP

- Genentech’s educators are called Clinical Education Managers. They do not provide medical advice. If you have questions about your health or treatment, you are encouraged to contact your health care provider.
  
  Genentech’s educators are called Clinical Education Managers. They do not provide medical advice. If you have questions about your health or treatment, you are encouraged to contact your health care provider.
- Zitter Health Insights. Policy & Access Tracking Tool for Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis. Published September 2017.
  
  Zitter Health Insights. Policy & Access Tracking Tool for Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis. Published September 2017.
- Independent co-pay assistance foundations have their own rules for eligibility. We cannot guarantee a foundation will help you. We only can refer you to a foundation that supports your disease state. We do not endorse or show financial preference for any particular foundation. The foundations we refer you to are not the only ones that might be able to help you.
  
  Independent co-pay assistance foundations have their own rules for eligibility. We cannot guarantee a foundation will help you. We only can refer you to a foundation that supports your disease state. We do not endorse or show financial preference for any particular foundation. The foundations we refer you to are not the only ones that might be able to help you.
- The Medicare Extra Help program is not a Genentech program. It is administered by the Social Security Administration. The co-pay amount for Medicare Extra Help changes each year.
  
  The Medicare Extra Help program is not a Genentech program. It is administered by the Social Security Administration. The co-pay amount for Medicare Extra Help changes each year.
- This Esbriet $5 Co-pay Program is valid ONLY for patients with commercial insurance who have a valid prescription for a Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved indication of a Genentech medication. Patients using Medicare, Medicaid or any other federal or state government program to pay for their medications are not eligible.
  
  Under the program, the patient will pay a co-pay. After reaching the maximum program benefit, the patient will be responsible for all out-of-pocket expenses.
  
  All participants are responsible for reporting the receipt of all program benefits as required by any insurer or by law. No party may seek reimbursement for all or any part of the benefit received through this Program. The program is only valid in the United States and U.S. Territories. This program is void where prohibited by law and shall follow state restrictions in relation to AB-rated generic equivalents (e.g., MA, CA) where applicable. The patient, guardian, prescriber, hospital and any other person using the program agree not to seek reimbursement for all or any part of the benefit received by the patient through the offer of this program. Genentech reserves the right to rescind, revoke or amend the program without notice at any time. Additional terms and conditions apply. Please visit EsbrietCopay.com for the full list of Terms and Conditions.
  
  This Esbriet $5 Co-pay Program is valid ONLY for patients with commercial insurance who have a valid prescription for a Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved indication of a Genentech medication. Patients using Medicare, Medicaid or any other federal or state government program to pay for their medications are not eligible.
  
  Under the program, the patient will pay a co-pay. After reaching the maximum program benefit, the patient will be responsible for all out-of-pocket expenses.
  
  All participants are responsible for reporting the receipt of all program benefits as required by any insurer or by law. No party may seek reimbursement for all or any part of the benefit received through this Program. The program is only valid in the United States and U.S. Territories. This program is void where prohibited by law and shall follow state restrictions in relation to AB-rated generic equivalents (e.g., MA, CA) where applicable. The patient, guardian, prescriber, hospital and any other person using the program agree not to seek reimbursement for all or any part of the benefit received by the patient through the offer of this program. Genentech reserves the right to rescind, revoke or amend the program without notice at any time. Additional terms and conditions apply. Please visit EsbrietCopay.com for the full list of Terms and Conditions.
- To be eligible for free Genentech medicine from the Genentech Patient Foundation, insured patients who have coverage for their medicine must have exhausted all other forms of patient assistance (including the Esbriet $5 Co-pay Program and support from independent co-pay assistance foundations) and must meet certain financial criteria. Uninsured patients and insured patients without coverage for their medicine must meet different financial criteria.
  
  To be eligible for free Genentech medicine from the Genentech Patient Foundation, insured patients who have coverage for their medicine must have exhausted all other forms of patient assistance (including the Esbriet $5 Co-pay Program and support from independent co-pay assistance foundations) and must meet certain financial criteria. Uninsured patients and insured patients without coverage for their medicine must meet different financial criteria.
- Eligible patients will pay as little as $5 per valid prescription, subject to a maximum benefit of $25,000 for a 12-month period.
  
  Eligible patients will pay as little as $5 per valid prescription, subject to a maximum benefit of $25,000 for a 12-month period.