tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2973534838703646955.post5038155828648568452..comments2009-08-13T08:56:41.169-06:00Roberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11344831083282304279noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2973534838703646955.post-80330136945993436852009-08-12T08:40:55.825-06:002009-08-12T08:40:55.825-06:00@FallenAttorney: Actually, now that you mention it, I <em>had</em> read about the Provigil patent incident but forgot about it when I wrote this post. I should probably update it to reflect that. I&#39;m sorry that your reaction to the medication was so severe.Roberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11344831083282304279noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2973534838703646955.post-72289390815983072772009-08-11T22:30:44.174-06:002009-08-11T22:30:44.174-06:00Two things about Provigil:<br /><br />1. Contrary to popular belief, the patent for Provigil HAS already run outin 2009. What Provigil&#39;s maker, Cephalon, did is even more scummy. Simply put, Cephalon rounded up the 4-5 generic drug makers which already had FDA approval to start making generic Provigil,aka modafinil, filed a spurious lawsuit against the generic makers, and &quot;settled&quot; the case by paying about half a BILLION dollars to the FDA-approved generic modafinil makers if they all agreed to NOT manufacture modafinil! So, although the drug is still entitled to be called Provigil still, Provigil is actually ITSELF a generic since Cephalon bought rights to make the generic from the generic drug makers. You may be thinking, well some other generic company can make modafinil instead - wrong! Several years ago Congress enacted law which required the FDA to permit only a certain few companies to begin making generics immediately after a brand name drug&#39;s patent expires. Since Cephalon paid off every generic company which had permission to manufacture generic Provigil,no one else can and Provigil continues to have a monopoly even without a valid patent. Cephalon&#39;s plan that you mention could only work if they paid off the generic companies, which they did. <br /><br />2) According to the FDA and Cephalon&#39;s own testing, anyone who takes Provigil has a 1/200 chance, DURING THE FIRST TWO WEEKS TO TWO MONTHs of use, of developing &#39;Delayed Drug Hypersensitivity Syndrome&#39;, which at best causes a spreading skin rash equal in tissue destruction to 3rd degree burns - SJS Syndrome, and at the worse level causes multi-organ failure,(D.R.E.S.S. Syndrome) which can result in death in less than 24 hours. I know - I developed DRESS syndrome which, while not identified as such at the ER, was treated immediately by putting me on complete life support (mechanical ventilation, feeding tube, drug-induced coma) for 5 days. I lived, but with a badly damaged heart, kidneys, other organs and most obviously brain -- all due to hypotension which turned into anaphylactic/cardiogenic shock and left all my organs without oxygeh like a drowning victim or miners trapped in cave. I&#39;m alive - not much more.FallenAttorneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13054595385552954371noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2973534838703646955.post-58103757270917873672009-08-11T21:01:58.116-06:002009-08-11T21:01:58.116-06:00Good for you! Your Doctor wasn&#39;t the best in the field apparently. My problem is the best doctors I find tend to take care of Kids. Anyway you might want to talk to your insurance company and see if they are willing to compromise and cover part of the cost while you cover the other part. It still might be expensive but worth a shot. Plus I know a lawyer who would like to tell your insurance company what to put their ideas of what should be covered.Cuteyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06603916018158506394noreply@blogger.com