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If you live in the U.S. and are starting treatment with Aldurazyme, you may have many questions about your health insurance coverage. It is important to understand your health insurance policy, and Genzyme has a dedicated group of health care professionals who can provide free and confidential help.

Genzyme Treatment Support is a team of experienced nurses, social workers, and other health care professionals with expertise in U.S. public and private health insurance, as well as the U.S. health care delivery system. These professionals can help provide patients in the U.S. with the support necessary for your care, including:

Confidential and free assistance in obtaining and maintaining the insurance coverage needed for treatment with Aldurazyme.

Help in understanding the benefits available through your current insurance plan.

Assistance in finding alternative insurance options.

Help in coordinating your care by working closely with your physician and your insurance company, as needed.


What you should know about insurance coverage
Health insurance companies determine whether they will approve coverage for treatments based on factors that include medical necessity, expected outcome, and cost. Genzyme Treatment Support can help you throughout the process.

It is important to verify your health insurance benefits to understand where your treatment is best covered within the parameters of your policy. Benefits covering intravenous therapy may be included under outpatient services, physician services or under a prescription plan that is part of, or separate from, your major medical insurance. Genzyme Treatment Support can help determine coverage and can help you with the paperwork.

Before you begin treatment with Aldurazyme, it may be necessary for your physician to obtain written confirmation of coverage for therapy. Genzyme Treatment Support can work with your physician’s office to ensure this occurs.

Charitable Access Program
People with MPS I whose physicians have recommended treatment with Aldurazyme (laronidase) may be considered for the Charitable Access Program.

The Charitable Access Program (CAP) was established to provide treatment to people who need it, but who are uninsured and lack the financial means to purchase the treatment. Program eligibility is based on both financial and medical need.

In order to be considered for the program, patients must be referred by a physician who recommends treatment based on medical need.

To apply, patients must complete a program application, and provide current financial information, including tax returns, W-2 forms, and recent bank statements. All information must be submitted before applications can be considered.

All information submitted will be kept confidential by the CAP committee.

The committee meets monthly to review applications and accept patients into the program.

The Charitable Access Program is considered a temporary funding program. In order to maintain program eligibility, patients and their families should continue to explore alternative funding options, including private insurance, governmental programs, and/or charitable sources. A case management specialist from Genzyme Treatment Support can help.

Genzyme Treatment Support can support you through the process and assist you with your needs. Call 800-745-4447 for more information or send us an email.

Interested in learning more about various US health insurance policies?


Region/Country
This site is intended for use in the United States. Please visit the Genzyme site for your country or region.
MPS I is a progressive, debilitating and often life-threatening disease. Tell us how you found this site and you may help others locate critical information about MPS I and its treatment.
Need more insurance coverage information? Genzyme Treatment Support can support you through the process and assist you with your needs. Call 800-745-4447 for more information or send us an email.

ALDURAZYME® (laronidase) is indicated for patients with Hurler and Hurler-Scheie forms of Mucopolysaccharidosis I (MPS I) and for patients with the Scheie form who have moderate to severe symptoms.  The risks and benefits of treating mildly affected patients with the Scheie form have not been established.

 

ALDURAZYME has been shown to improve pulmonary function and walking capacity.  ALDURAZYME has not been evaluated for effects on the central nervous system manifestations of the disorder.

 

Important Safety Information

 

WARNING

Risk of anaphylaxis.

Life-threatening anaphylactic reactions have been observed in some patients during ALDURAZYME infusions.  Therefore, appropriate medical support should be readily available when ALDURAZYME is administered.  Patients with compromised respiratory function or acute respiratory disease may be at risk of serious acute exacerbation of their respiratory compromise due to infusion reactions, and require additional monitoring.

 

Life-threatening anaphylactic reactions have been observed in some patients during or up to 3 hours after ALDURAZYME infusions. Reactions have included: respiratory failure, respiratory distress, stridor, tachypnea, bronchospasm, airway obstruction, hypoxia, hypotension, bradycardia, and urticaria. Interventions have included: resuscitation, mechanical ventilatory support, emergency tracheotomy, hospitalization, and treatment with inhaled beta-adrenergic agonists, epinephrine, and intravenous corticosteroids.

 

In clinical trials and postmarketing safety experience with ALDURAZYME, approximately 1% of patients experienced severe or serious allergic reactions. In patients with MPS I, pre-existing upper airway obstruction may have contributed to the severity of some reactions. Due to the potential for severe allergic reactions, appropriate medical support should be readily available when ALDURAZYME is administered. Because of the potential for recurrent reactions, some patients who experience initial severe reactions may require prolonged observation. The risks and benefits of re-administering ALDURAZYME following an anaphylactic or severe allergic reaction should be considered.

 

Patients with an acute illness at the time of ALDURAZYME infusion may be at greater risk for infusion-related reactions. Careful consideration should be given to the patient’s clinical status prior to administration of ALDURAZYME.

 

Patients should receive antipyretics and/or antihistamines prior to infusion. If an infusion reaction occurs, regardless of pretreatment, decreasing the infusion rate, temporarily stopping the infusion, and/or administration of additional antipyretics and/or antihistamines may ameliorate the symptoms.

 

The most common adverse reactions associated with ALDURAZYME treatment in the clinical studies were upper respiratory tract infection, rash, and injection site reaction  The most common adverse reactions requiring intervention were infusion-related reactions involving flushing, fever, headache, and rash. 

 

In postmarketing experience with ALDURAZYME, severe and serious infusion-related reactions have been reported, some of which were life-threatening.  The most frequently reported adverse reactions included: chills, vomiting, nausea, arthralgia, diarrhea, tachycardia, abdominal pain, blood pressure increased, and oxygen saturation decreased. 

 

Approximately 91% of patients treated with ALDURAZYME in clinical studies were positive for antibodies to laronidase. The clinical significance of antibodies to ALDURAZYME is not known, including the potential for product neutralization. Adverse events should be reported promptly to Genzyme Medical Information at 800-745-4447, option 2. ALDURAZYME is available by prescription only. To learn more, please see the full prescribing information (PDF) including boxed warning, visit www.ALDURAZYME.com or contact Genzyme at 1-800-745-4447.


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