Street drug dealers have used the same formula for years to push their product. They meet and sometimes befriend their target prospects. They offer them drugs for free or at a low price. They wait for their trap to spring — for the target to get hooked on the stuff. The end result is the perfect customer — one who will pay anything, or do anything, for their next hit.
Of course, this kind of marketing strategy isn’t high-toned enough to be covered in the Wall Street Journal — unless, that is, you’re Big Pharma pushing legal drugs.
According to the Journal:
Cephalon Inc. (CEPH) has launched a campaign to switch users of its best-selling drug, the stimulant Provigil, to a newer drug with longer patent protection, enticing patients with prescription co-pay assistance…
Nuvigil is chemically similar to Provigil, but Cephalon says its effects are longer-lasting than Provigil. The drugs weren’t tested head-to-head in clinical efficacy trials, but Cephalon says the drugs were compared in terms of concentrations in plasma.
From a business perspective, Nuvigil also has the benefit of patent protection through 2023. Provigil, approved in the U.S. in 1998, is due to face generic competition in the U.S. in 2012 under patent-litigation settlements Cephalon has reached with generics manufacturers. ..
Cephalon’s strategy is to switch as many Provigil patients to Nuvigil as possible to the mute the impact of Provigil’s loss of market exclusivity.
The Journal adds that as part of its strategy, Cephalon has more than doubled the price of Provigil, so that now (with discounts and promotions) Nuvigil is cheaper.
Do you see what’s happening here? Let me break it down for you by way of analogy — in street terms.
A drug dealer — we’ll call him “MC Ceph” — has made a mint selling crack on his street corner. But now pimps like Rite-A, Wal-M and CVS-Dog are close to gaining access to a cheaper supplier and are planning to undercut MC Ceph’s price dramatically.
Wal-M is even talking about selling a 30-day supply for just $4.
MC Ceph would no longer be able to live large if this happened. He would have to settle for living medium-sized.
And how would it look to the Street if he didn’t keep increasing his revenues every quarter?
Now, MC Ceph is not the gat-toting type (he’s actually kind of a wimp), so he has to win this game with his wits. Fortunately for him, he figures out just the way to do it.
He decides to jack up the price he charges for crack while he still has no competition. After all, what choice do his crackhead customers have? He’s got a monopoly in the neighborhood.
Then, he’s going to start selling something he calls “nu-crack.” It’s really the same drug he’s always been selling; he’s just “cutting” it with different additives that change the texture and color of the drug.
He offers “nu-crack” for free or super-cheap at first — until his customer base gets hooked on it and is asking for “nu-crack” instead of old crack.
When the low-cost crack dealers arrive on the next corner, MC Ceph will have already converted his customer base — so he keeps his monopoly and his high margins.
There’s a risk in MC Ceph’s plan, of course. You see, “nu-crack” really isn’t much different from old crack, and if MC Ceph’s customers ever figure that out, they’ll be off to Wal-M — and he’ll be out of business.
And so it with Cephalon. Provigil is essentially the same drug as Nuvigil. Nuvigil was only created for marketing purposes, to retain Cephalon’s monopoly and its profits.
And so it goes — on the back streets, and on Wall Street.
10 responses so far ↓
1 Melissa // Aug 20, 2009 at 1:45 pm
So, I can’t belieive that, what about the people who were told this is going to work better for you since the 400mg of provigil isn’t cutting it anymore. Will we still be falling asleep at the wheel? Real nice, I will be searching for the cheap stuff when it comes out. Probly getting the stuff cheap from Cephalon anyway, then cheapening it up to get sales, and then Cephalon still wins. Grrr!!!
2 Steve // Aug 22, 2009 at 1:18 pm
My doc recommended the Nuvigil lower dose first, then refills to 250mg 2 x day. Now that the free refill offers are expired I find out my insc wants $275 for 90 day supply. No way I can do that. Going to try Provigil next.
Nuvigil gave me plenty of energy and I slept better at night. My mood swings weren’t nearly as destructive and I could be somewhat social and moderately in control.
We’ll see what Provigil brings.
3 Melissa // Aug 22, 2009 at 10:48 pm
Well I guess my doc says only diff is nuvigil Is pure. I took 400 mg provigil for 2.5 yrs and I have one of the worst cases of idiopathic hypersomnia. It wasn’t working as good anymore so at checkup doc said try swiching to nuvigil. I did 4 days ago and I’ve Been falling asleep anywhere including work and driving. Just like if I had none. I had
no side effects ever with provigil it was great, and never effected sleep day or night just made me feel normal and awake, no extra awake like caffeine, just not falling asleep, which motivated me totally. I’m only 24, have a 5 yr old, own my own business, and another job, getting married next year so I need all the motivtion I can get. I probly just need a double dose of the nuvigil. It’s expensive but hey if I can’t afford it, then according to government, I can go on disability. I hope provigil Is good for u!!
4 Tracy // Nov 14, 2009 at 5:18 pm
My doc. began me with 200mg Provigil once a day. It was a wonder drug- I felt normal again, slept well at night and woke up refreshed. By the 3rd day, I noticed cracks at the corners of my mouth and a deep red stripe going down the center of my tongue, and a sore throat. It turns out that I’m allergic to my wonder drug. So I’m back to something less than a normal life. My doc. is considering trying the Nuvigil on me, but if it is the same thing with a new name, may as well save my money.
5 Kate // Dec 8, 2009 at 3:35 am
I had the exact opposite problem as Melissa. I was diagnosed this past summer with narcolepsy and my dr started me on 200 mg provigil once a day and upped it to 400 mg (200mg twice a day) when it wasn’t having any effect. Two months of the provigil got me nowhere but 10lbs lighter (nice side effect, but not what i was looking for in such an expensive drug). So I got some free samples of nuvigil from my dr. Did a week of 150mg once a day. Didn’t notice much change if any, so the next week he upped it to 250mg. And it’s actually working. I still don’t eat as much as I used to, but I’m ok with that…small price to pay for being able to stay awake during the day. I still nap a few times a week and have trouble waking up (both from the night and from naps), but I definitely see a big difference. When I forget to take the nuvigil, I spend my entire day planning everything around when I can get a nap in. Not the most productive way to be. Granted, I’ve still got about 6 months left of coupons for it and it’s still fairly expensive, but provigil currently costs more and doesn’t work for me at all. Yeah cephalon is being pretty shady about things, but that doesn’t mean the drug itself is worthless.
6 Lawrence // Dec 18, 2009 at 5:55 pm
I was involved in a study of Provigil a few years ago and can’t wait till Wal-M offers it as a generic. $295 for a 30-day supply is just way too much. This drug is simply marvelous. With no side effects at all, it kept me from falling asleep in the afternoons and gave me access to the language center in my brain in a way that I’d not had previously or since. I call it my “smart pill.” I can easily see why people who have it would spend 300 bucks a month for it. Thank God for expiring patents and Walmart generics.
7 megan // Jan 25, 2010 at 6:55 pm
I’m a chemical engineering major with narcolepsy and i’ve looked into the chemical differene. They are the same in chemical formula but, sorry to get technical, provigil is one enantiomer and provigil is a racemic mixture of both enantiomers. This means they react differently despite looking like same chemical. So they arent trying to scam you, but i’ve taken both and nuvigil only seems to keep me alert at night. I can still fall asleep when on provigil, but only when i try to. When is walmart supposed to be getting a generic?
8 Jes // Feb 5, 2010 at 3:45 am
I just started taking Nuvigil today. hating the side effects but already been through it with Provigil so I know it will get better. I have Narcolepsy and was previously on 600 mg a day and still falling asleep. I have read both good and bad about both medications and ya the price sucks…and i just got laid off and have no insurance…so a generic at a cheaper price sounds awesome BUT after being on such a high dose and still falling asleep all the time, I am willing and hoping the Nuvigil is better. at this point just want to live a normal life and being so darn tired all the time interferes beyond belief! i’ll post again in a couple weeks when the side effects subside and let you know how i am doing. right now i am so very hopeful…just gotta be because it can only get better right? if anyone else with severe narcolepsy has tried both medications please let me know how the worked for you. would like your input =)
9 viv // Aug 28, 2010 at 1:52 pm
hi…I have been on provigil since it came out…200 mg in am and 200 pm…I take it with two large starbucks and then take two hour nap. My Dr just switched me to Nuvigil…He said it should be better….But I went on this site to find out comparison of doses…I have been given 250 mg once a day..which I understood was max…note…I had to fight my insurance company for dosage of 600 mg of provigil…diagnosis chronic fatigue, sleep apnea hyperthyroid due to malignant thyroid cancer.
So…if 250 mg. of Nuvigil is only 500 mg of Provigil…they have taken me down in dosage…why would this help me!!!….No wonder my pharmacy cleared this script no problems!
Anybody know of any links to dosage that says other than 250?
10 viv // Aug 28, 2010 at 1:56 pm
sorry 400 mg in am…that is how tired I am…time for pm nap
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