Why is Entresto So Expensive? Here's How to Get It Cheaper
speciality medications
Entresto (sacubitril/valsartan) is a two-ingredient, two-punch medication that can be very effective for treating heart failure. It’s proven to reduce the risk of hospitalization and death for people who are struggling to maintain their cardiovascular health.
Sounds great, right? For many, it is. Entresto can extend lives and improve quality of life when used well.
Unfortunately, it’s also very expensive. A typical Entresto price is about $13.00 for just one pill, which needs to be taken twice daily – placing it squarely out of budget for the majority of heart disease patients.
Why is Entresto so expensive? Is there a cheaper alternative to Entresto? (Maybe insurance, or coupons for Entresto?)
Here, we’ll provide practical information patients need to know about Entresto, as well as some simple ways to get it at a lower cost.
Why Is Entresto So Expensive?
First, let’s take a peek behind the curtain. $13.00 for a twice-daily pill is a lot of money.
How did we get there?
The Costs of Developing and Approving Entresto
As it turns out, taking a drug from an idea to a product people can easily buy is both complex and expensive. Here’s a quick look at what Entresto’s manufacturer had to do to get Entresto made and approved:
- Extensive R&D work, in addition to years of testing. Entresto’s manufacturer, spent considerable resources creating Entresto, testing it for efficacy, and moving it through multiple stages of clinical trials.
- Government approvals. Then, to get it fully approved by government health regulators, the manufacturer had to demonstrate that Entresto provided clear benefits and few risks. Doing that took a lot of time and money, too.
- Finally, after achieving approval and the permission to move forward, the manufacturer needed to provide the infrastructure and logistical support necessary to manufacture Entresto at scale and deliver it all over the nation.
All of that took an incredible amount of money. In the United States, it’s not uncommon to spend over $980 million to get a drug launched to market.
Accordingly, the manufacturer wanted to price Entresto high enough to recoup those costs and then some, as we will discuss below.
Limited Generic Competition
One of the ways the manufacturer was able to price its offering high without alienating its market entirely was because of patent protection.
After they made Entresto and got it approved, the company received a period of time in which it could sell Entresto without fear of competition from generic manufacturers. As Entresto’s patent won’t expire until 2025 in the USA (and, depending on actions by the manufacturer, that could get extended), it could be a while before we start seeing widespread and affordable Entresto generic options in the USA.
While you may be able to buy generic Entresto in some international online pharmacies, those experience will generally be few and far between. For now, brand-name Entresto is the most accessible option to consider if buying in the United States.
Marketing and Advertising Expenditures
Any discussion about high drug costs wouldn’t be complete without talking about advertising.
In the United States, unlike in other countries, it’s a very common practice to advertise medications directly to consumers. This also costs a lot of money. (Pharmaceutical ad spends in 2023 were over $1 billion!)
Again, although this is an expense that drugmaker decided to take on, it’s one that the company passes down to its consumers in the form of (very) high drug prices.
High Standards for Production
Though Entresto has now been approved, the drugmaker can’t exactly ease up on quality control processes.
Far from it. If any unit of Entresto was associated with an unexpected incident or it suddenly became clear that Entresto was becoming less and less useful, they wouldn’t be able to sell it anymore—to say nothing of the harm to individuals who happened across a less-than-stellar batch of Entresto.
To avoid this, the drugmaker is known to invest considerable time and resources into stringent quality control and meticulously-maintained production processes.
This costs money, too, which contributes to the final cost of the drug.
Drugs Are Excessively Priced in the United States
The most important reason, however, for the high price of medications, like Entresto, is because there are no government-mandated price controls on medications in the USA. The U.S. government gives drugmakers a monopoly in the form of the patent and then permits them to charge patients whatever they want and they frequently do so at exorbitant and unfair prices that appear to gouge consumers. That’s not the case in other countries and that’s why drugs are fairly priced elsewhere. Read on to learn how you can benefit from this to buy Entresto at a discount.
Breaking Down the Cost of Entresto
So far, we’ve talked about the pharmaceutical industry and its pricing influences in general.
Now, let’s take a quick look at Entresto specifically: How much does it cost, and what are your options for finding it more affordably?
Entresto Prices: Average Retail Costs
In the United States, American patients who need to take Entresto for heart disease may pay as much as $400.00 for a 15-day supply of the drug. (That’s 30 tablets, but most people will need to take Entresto twice per day.)
While that sticker price is indeed high—at around $800.00 per month, or an eye-watering $10,000.00 per year—your first instinct might be that no one really pays that much. After all, different pharmacies price their drugs differently.
Here’s one example:
Through NorthWestPharmacy.com, you can buy 28 tablets, or a 14-day supply, of brand-name Entresto for about $140.00. That’s a savings of up to 62%! For less than that, you can get a 45 day supply of the generic.
Insurance Coverage and Its Impact on Entresto Costs
If you happen to have a good insurance plan, you might assume that your coverage will defray your personal Entresto costs.
You might be right. But for several reasons, it’s not always a good idea to rely entirely on insurance to cover your cost of a medication you’ll need to take indefinitely.
For example:
You might lose your insurance. In America, healthcare is tied to an individual (or family member)’s employment. If you lose your job, you won’t have access to that discount on medication anymore.
Your insurer might decide to stop covering your medication. Your insurance company performs routine checks of its formulary, or its list of covered medications, to reassess the coverage it provides.
Unfortunately, the more expensive a medication is, the more likely it is that your insurance company will want to remove it from its formulary, or move it to a lower tier of coverage. (Remember, your insurance company is going to be concerned about its profit margins, too.)
That’s not all. While your insurance may cover a hefty portion of your medication for now, you might be able to save even more by simply getting your medication for cheaper in the first place.
This may sound easier said than done.
Fortunately, a smart solution could be far closer than you might think.
Here’s Exactly How to Get Entresto at a Lower Cost
If you’re interested in reducing Entresto costs, you have a few options. You can go to the manufacturer to see if you can get it directly discounted, play the insurance and cost-comparison game as well as you can, or expand your search for affordable Entresto to international pharmacies.
Here’s a little more information about each of these options.
Buying Entresto with Manufacturer Coupons and Copay Cards
In some cases, you may be able to obtain specific manufacturer-provided coupons and copay cards. Sometimes, medication manufacturers release these coupons in partnership with doctor’s offices, or as part of a marketing campaign. Keeping an eye out for these takes time, attention, and effort, but can function as a good way to get a one-off discount on a certain amount of medication.
If you’re interested in finding these copay cards and coupons, talk to your doctor, or speak with the staff at your local pharmacy to learn more about eligibility criteria.
Patient Assistance Programs
Depending on your eligibility, you may be able to have access to further assistance from the drugmaker.
They have a patient assistance program that can help certain people who are facing financial hardships or who don’t have adequate insurance coverage afford Entresto. To apply to these programs, you’ll need to provide proof of income, residency, and insurance status.
Space in these programs is limited, and if you do get approved you’ll likely access a limited amount of financial assistance for a set amount of time. However, as with coupons, this can be part of a larger strategy you use to keep these medications as affordable as possible. To learn more about these programs, check out the manufacturer website, or talk to your healthcare provider about eligibility criteria.
Comparing Prices Across Pharmacies
If Entresto prices are particularly high at one pharmacy in your neighborhood, it may make sense to check in with another location. Different pharmacies can set wildly varying prices for the same medication. Shopping around can definitely help, but that takes time, gas money, and lots of detective work (as many pharmacies can make it very difficult to find a simple pricing structure).
This leads us to a pro tip: If you haven’t bought your prescription medications online before, now’s the time to do so.
Good and reputable online pharmacy websites make finding pricing information, as well as other key info like dosing strategies and side effects for popular prescription medications, extremely easy to find.
Keeping an Eye Out for an Entresto Generic
Currently, in 2024, Entresto is not widely available as a generic medication. But it is available internationally, and we carry it.
What About Importing Medications from Canada? An FAQ
Here are the most common questions we field about Entresto’s cost in America and in Canada.
- What is the typical price for Entresto in the US?
- Typically, patients in America will pay about $800.00 for a month’s worth of brand-name Entresto in the United States — or about $10,000.00 per year.
- Why is Entresto so expensive?
- Entresto is so expensive because it costs a lot of money to create and distribute a drug, between research, development, approval, and manufacturing logistics. In America, the lack of generic competition, nonexistent drug pricing regulations, and expenses associated with marketing drugs directly to consumers also contribute to high Entresto prices.
- Are there any coupons for Entresto available?
- You may be able to find coupons for Entresto via the manufacturer’s website or through your doctor’s office. Ask your healthcare provider for more information.
- What is the cost of Entresto without insurance?
- Without insurance or any other cost-mitigating strategies, American patients may pay as much as $10,000.00 per year for Entresto.
- Can I buy Entresto from Canada?
- Yes, it is possible to buy Entresto from Canada and benefit from low prices and convenient shipping. Just make sure you select a CIPA-certified pharmacy website for safety and authenticity. Always click on the CIPA seal to make sure you land on the seal verification page at CIPA.com because many unscrupulous operators claim to be certified by CIPA but are not.
- What does the Entresto 24/26 mg dosage cost?
- The cost for a specific dose of Entresto, like Entresto 24/26, generally aligns with the standard pricing of about $400.00 for one fifteen-day supply of the medication in the USA. In some cases, if you’re able to buy a little more of the medication at one time, you may be able to pay a little less per unit.
- Where can I buy Entresto cheap?
- You can reliably buy Entresto cheap through a Canadian drugs store or international pharmacy, as long as you prioritize working with a safe, reputable one. Taking the time to compare prices is also key if you’re looking for a high-quality deal!
- What are the steps to import Entresto from Canada?
- To import Entresto from Canada, your first step is to find a reputable Canadian online pharmacy website, like ours, that ships to the United States. Then, make sure that you have a valid, updated prescription for Entresto from your healthcare provider.
After that, from the Entresto product page on our site, you can simply locate your dosage, click “add to cart,” and follow our checkout steps to ship Entresto directly to your front door.
You’re In the Right Place for Low Entresto Price Solutions
Through NorthWestPharmacy.com, a CIPA-certified online pharmacy and international drugs website, you can quickly and easily find, learn about, and order the prescription medications you need to thrive (including Entresto!). After you’ve obtained a valid prescription for Entresto, you can purchase it through our site with just a few clicks.
Interested in learning more about what we can offer you? Chat with our team of customer service representatives and pharmacists, or read our customer service reviews. Then, when you’re ready, place an order online or over the phone.
The team at NorthWestPharmacy.com looks forward to helping you manage your heart health as successfully as possible!
