Another thought for your website: each of
these drugs has its own website which is
professionally monitored and updated.
For example, you can go to
www.Copaxone.Com and
learn all about that particular drug,
including perhaps some facts about it you
might want to include on your own site.
I have been on copaxone since feb 1999.
I've never had a major relapse since i've
been on it. Copaxone is the only one of
the abcrs that is considered "safe" for
patients also suffering from depression.
The three others are all classed as
"interferons" which apparently stand a
good chance of making depression worse,
possibly even to the suicidal degree.
Also, copaxone is the only one that does
not develop antibodies to itself after
injection. The three interferons do
eventually develop antibodies in the body
of the patient which they believe may
inhibit how much help the drug can be.
As for medicare, avonex is the only
injectable that medicare will pay for and
only if it is administered in a doctor's
office. The fact that it is a weekly
injection makes it feasible to see a
doctor every time. The others are either
daily (copaxone), every other day
(betaseron), or twice a week (rebif)
making it almost literally impossible for
patients to go to their doctors (who may
be located miles away) just to receive the
shots. To me, this is nothing short of
discrimination (plus they don't pay for
insulin injections for diabetics either
because they are injectables also).
However, for people of limited resources,
copaxone does have a financial assistance
program for those who qualify. It is
sponsored by nord (national organization
for rare diseases) and involves sending an
application plus extensive financial
documentation. You can obtain an
application by seeing the website
www.Sharedsolutions.Com and/or calling their toll free number
and asking for one.
