CSL Behring Launches Hizentra® Co-Pay Relief Program

KING OF PRUSSIA, Pa., May 20, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- People managing primary immunodeficiency (PI) with CSL Behring's Hizentra^® (Immune Globulin Subcutaneous [Human]) may now be eligible for financial support through the Hizentra^® Co-Pay Relief Program. The new program offers eligible U.S. patients up to $4,000 per year to be applied toward Hizentra co-payments, deductibles and coinsurance. Out-of-pocket therapy costs will be processed seamlessly through the electronic billing systems of specialty pharmacies and physician offices, which means no paperwork is required for the patient, pharmacist or physician.

"CSL Behring is committed to providing medical innovations and supportive services that make a meaningful difference in the lives of people living with a serious health condition," said Lynne Powell, Senior Vice President, North America Commercial Operations, CSL Behring. "The Hizentra Co-Pay Relief Program is another example of this commitment and was designed to specifically meet the needs of the primary immunodeficiency community by increasing access to Hizentra."

Enrollment in the Hizentra Co-Pay Relief Program is automated and paperless, and members can access their account online at any time. Patients can contact CSL Behring's IgIQ resource center at 1-877-355-IGIQ (4447) to confirm eligibility and to discuss the steps for enrolling. The program is open to U.S. residents who are at least 2 years old and diagnosed with PI. Participants must have U.S.-based private insurance that covers Hizentra. Individuals covered by state- or federally funded programs, such as Medicare, Medicare Advantage plans, Medicaid, PCIP, Champus, TriCare, and Veterans Administration (VA), are not eligible. 

"For many of the 250,000 people in the U.S. diagnosed with a primary immunodeficiency, immunoglobulin replacement therapy is an essential part of staying healthy," said Marcia Boyle, President and Founder of the Immune Deficiency Foundation. "We applaud CSL Behring for the company's long-standing commitment to the PI community and now for the Hizentra Co-Pay Relief Program, which will make a meaningful difference to those taking CSL Behring's subcutaneous immunoglobulin."   

For more information about the Hizentra Co-Pay Relief Program, please call 1-877-355-IGIQ (4447) or visit www.Hizentra.com/copay.

About Primary Immunodeficiencies

More than 200 types of PIs are recognized by the World Health Organization. For individuals with PI, many of them children, infections may not improve as expected with usual treatments and may even keep returning. As a result, patients may face repeated rounds of antibiotics or hospitalization for treatment. Repeated infections can lead to organ damage, which over time can become life-threatening. Some infections, such as meningitis, can even result in death.

For more information about PI, please visit www.Hizentra.com or contact the leading PI patient advocate groups in the U.S., the Immune Deficiency Foundation and the Jeffrey Modell Foundation.

Important Safety Information
Immune Globulin Subcutaneous (Human), Hizentra^®, treats various forms of primary immunodeficiency (PI) in patients age 2 and over.

WARNING: Thrombosis (blood clotting) can occur with immune globulin products, including Hizentra. Risk factors can include: advanced age, prolonged immobilization, a history of blood clotting or hyperviscosity (blood thickness), use of estrogens, installed vascular catheters, and cardiovascular risk factors.

If you are at high risk of thrombosis, your doctor will prescribe Hizentra at the minimum dose and infusion rate practicable and will monitor you for signs of thrombosis and hyperviscosity. Always drink sufficient fluids before administration.

Tell your doctor if you have had a serious reaction to other immune globulin medicines or have been told you also have a deficiency of the immunoglobulin called IgA, as you might not be able to take Hizentra. You should not take Hizentra if you know you have hyperprolinemia (too much proline in your blood).  

Infuse Hizentra under your skin only; do not inject into a blood vessel.

Allergic reactions can occur with Hizentra. If your doctor suspects you are having a bad allergic reaction or are going into shock, treatment will be discontinued. Immediately tell your doctor or go to the emergency room if you have signs of such a reaction, including hives, trouble breathing, wheezing, dizziness, or fainting.

Tell your doctor about any side effects that concern you. Immediately report symptoms that could indicate a blood clot, including pain and/or swelling of an arm or leg, with warmth over affected area; discoloration in arm or leg; unexplained shortness of breath; chest pain or discomfort that worsens with deep breathing; unexplained rapid pulse; and numbness or weakness on one side of the body. Your doctor will also monitor symptoms that could indicate hemolysis (destruction of red blood cells), and other potentially serious reactions that have been seen with Ig treatment, including aseptic meningitis syndrome (brain swelling); kidney problems; and transfusion-related acute lung injury.

The most common drug-related adverse reactions in the clinical trial for Hizentra were swelling, pain, redness, heat or itching at the site of injection; headache; back pain; diarrhea; tiredness; cough; rash; itching; nausea and vomiting.

Hizentra is made from components of human blood. The risk of transmission of infectious agents, including viruses and, theoretically, the Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) agent, cannot be completely eliminated.

Before being treated with Hizentra, inform your doctor if you are pregnant, nursing or plan to become pregnant. Vaccines (such as measles, mumps and rubella) might not work well if you are using Hizentra. Before receiving any vaccine, tell the healthcare professional you are being treated with Hizentra.

For full prescribing information, visit http://www.hizentra.com/consumer/prescribing-information.aspx.

You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch, or call 1-800-FDA-1088.

About CSL Behring

CSL Behring is a leader in the plasma protein therapeutics industry. Committed to saving lives and improving the quality of life for people with rare and serious diseases, the company manufactures and markets a range of plasma-derived and recombinant therapies worldwide.

CSL Behring therapies are used around the world to treat coagulation disorders including hemophilia and von Willebrand disease, primary immune deficiencies, hereditary angioedema and inherited respiratory disease, and neurological disorders in certain markets. The company's products are also used in cardiac surgery, organ transplantation, burn treatment and to prevent hemolytic diseases in the newborn. CSL Behring operates one of the world's largest plasma collection networks, CSL Plasma. CSL Behring is a subsidiary of CSL Limited (ASX:CSL), a biopharmaceutical company headquartered in Melbourne, Australia. For more information, visit http://www.cslbehring.com/.

Media Contact:
Greg Healy
Senior Manager, Public Relations & Communications
CSL Behring
1-610-878-4841
[email protected]

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SOURCE CSL Behring