The cost of Soliris can vary based on several factors, including your insurance coverage. Drug savings programs can also lower the price you’ll pay for Soliris.

As with all medications, the cost of Soliris can vary. Factors that may affect the price you’ll pay for Soliris include:

  • your treatment plan
  • your insurance coverage
  • the cost of the visit to your healthcare professional to receive intravenous (IV) infusions of Soliris
  • whether Soliris has a savings program (see the “Financial and insurance assistance” section)

Soliris may need to be purchased through a specialty pharmacy authorized to carry specialty drugs. This type of drug may be costly or require help from healthcare professionals to be taken safely and effectively. For more details about how to obtain Soliris, talk with your doctor.

To find out what the cost of Soliris will be for you, talk with your doctor, pharmacist, or insurance provider.

Soliris contains the active ingredient eculizumab and is a biologic drug. This means it’s made from parts of living organisms.

Soliris comes in biosimilar forms. Biosimilars are like generic drugs except they’re made for biologics. (Generics are made for nonbiologic drugs.) Biosimilars are considered as effective and safe as the brand-name biologic, but tend to cost less.

WHY ARE COSTS DIFFERENT FOR BIOLOGIC DRUGS VS. BIOSIMILAR DRUGS?

Biologic drugs such as Soliris can be expensive because of the research needed to test their safety and effectiveness. The manufacturer of a biologic drug can sell it for up to 12 yearsTrusted Source. When the biologic drug’s patent expires, multiple manufacturers can create biosimilar versions. This marketplace competition may lead to lower costs for biosimilars. Also, because biosimilars are very similar to biologic drugs, they don’t require the same costly testing.

If you need financial support to pay for Soliris or if you need help understanding your insurance coverage, help is available. For example:

  • A program called OneSource is available for Soliris. For more information and to find out whether you’re eligible for support, call 888-765-4747 or visit the program website.
  • Some websites provide details about drug assistance programs, ways to make the most of your insurance coverage, and links to savings cards and other services. Two such websites are:

Here are answers to some frequently asked questions about drug cost and Soliris.

How much does Soliris cost per year?

The annual cost of Soliris will vary depending on various factors, including your insurance coverage. Typically, the cost is lower with insurance versus without it.

Other factors that could affect the cost of Soliris per year include:

To find out how much Soliris will cost with insurance, contact your insurance provider or doctor. If you don’t have health insurance, talk with your doctor about the typical cost per year.

Is Soliris covered by insurance, including Medicare?

It may be. You can call your insurance plan provider to learn whether your particular plan covers the cost of this drug. There are many types of insurance and Medicare plans, so your coverage and what you pay for prescriptions will be based on your particular plan’s benefits.

The total price you pay for Soliris may also depend on the cost to receive infusions at your doctor’s office or clinic. You may also need to obtain prior authorization before your plan will cover the cost of this medication (see “Insurance considerations”).

Your doctor may also be able to provide information about your cost for Soliris with insurance.

You may want to consider the following information if you have insurance and receive Soliris.

Prior authorization: If you have insurance, your insurance company may require prior authorization before it covers Soliris. This means the company and your doctor will discuss Soliris in regard to your treatment. The insurance company will then determine whether the medication is covered.

If a drug requires prior authorization, but you start treatment without the prior approval, you could pay the full cost of the medication. You can ask your insurance company whether Soliris requires prior authorization.

Type of insurance coverage: Soliris is given by your doctor or another healthcare professional. If you have insurance, the price of your Soliris doses may be billed through your medical coverage instead of the prescription drug portion of your insurance plan. This depends on your specific insurance plan and where you receive your Soliris doses, such as at your doctor’s office, an infusion clinic, or a hospital.

If you have questions about this process, contact your doctor or your insurance provider.

Disclaimer: Medical News Today has made every effort to make certain that all information is factually correct, comprehensive, and up to date. However, this article should not be used as a substitute for the knowledge and expertise of a licensed healthcare professional. You should always consult your doctor or another healthcare professional before taking any medication. The drug information contained herein is subject to change and is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. The absence of warnings or other information for a given drug does not indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective, or appropriate for all patients or all specific uses.