Imprimis Touts Cheaper Daraprim Alternative

California-based Imprimis Pharmaceuticals is touting a customizable compounded formulation of pyrimethamine and leucovorin as a low cost alternative to Daraprim, the drug that made headlines recently as Turing Pharmaceuticals, the sole supplier obtained marketing rights and raised the price from $13.50 per tablet to a reported $750.

Imprimis said it will offer the formulations of pyrimethamine and leucovorin in oral capsules starting as low as $99.00 for a 100-count bottle – a cost of under $1 per capsule.

The US Food and Drug Administration has approved Daraprim for treatment of toxoplasmosis and other types of infections. The drug is sold only in the US.

Mark L. Baum, CEO of Imprimis, said his company may be able to help control the cost explosion in the generics sector by offering compounded alternatives to several sole source legacy generic drugs.

The company with headquarters at San Diego is forming a new program called Imprimis Cares, which will work with physicians, patients and insurers “to ensure they have affordable access to the medicines they need from the over 7,800 generic FDA-approved drugs.”

While saying Imprimus “respects Turing's right to charge patients and insurance companies whatever it believes is appropriate,” Baum added that “there may be more cost-effective compounded options for medications such as Daraprim for patients, physicians, insurance companies and pharmacy benefit managers to consider.”