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Understanding Medication Options
It is difficult to imagine that what many consider routine -- starting a family -- can be so emotionally and physically exhausting for others. Even more challenging is the expense related to the drugs and procedures you may need to start or grow your family.
For many women seeking treatment, these expenses can be difficult to finance, sometimes forcing them to rethink their path to parenting. However, by shopping around it is possible to cut costs without cutting out the option of using fertility care. With the help of Apothecary, Ascend, Ferring, Schering-Plough Serono, Schering-Plough, MDR, Sandoz, Shrafts, the nursing staff at Choice Mom sponsor Laurel Fertility Care was able to provide this information, which might help you consider and compare the costs of these medications.
Below is a list of medications often prescribed for fertility patients. Please contact each provider for more information regarding the medications.
| Medication | What is it? | Typical Prescriptions | Administration | Manufacturer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Follistim | Prefilled, pre-mixed solution containing follitropic beta that stimulates hormones. | 2-6 vials per cycle or 50-300 IU daily (one or two injections per day) for 10 days in cycle | Subcutaneous Injection | Schering-Plough |
| Bravelle | Highly purified, human follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), one of the most important hormones for inducing the production of eggs | 1-4 vials (75 -300IU) once or twice daily for 7-12 days for an ovulation induction or in vitro fertilization cycle | Subcutaneous Injection | Ferring Fertility |
| Menopur | Highly purified mixture of human follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH), used to induce productions of eggs. | 1-3 75IU vials once or twice a day alone or in conjunction with Follistim, Gonal-f RFF, or Bravelle for an ovulation induction or in vitro fertilization cycle | Subcutaneous Injection | Ferring Fertility |
| Ovidrel | Prefilled mixture used to help follicles mature and trigger the release of mature eggs from a woman's ovaries | 1 injection before egg retrieval | Subcutaneous Injection | Serono |
| Ganirelix | A gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) antagonist used to prevent eggs from being released prematurely | 5 - 7 vials for 1 daily injection for five days of in vitro fertilization cycle | Subcutaneous Injection | Schering-Plough |
| Omnitrope | A synthetic form of the growth hormone that is a protein used to stimulate bones and cartilage growth | 3 vials per cycle with daily injections throughout cycle (1 vial lasts for about 4 days) | Subcutaneous Injection | Sandoz |
| Gonal-f RFF | Medicine that contains the hormone follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) to help produce and release mature eggs for pregnancy | 1-6 pre-filled syringes per cycle or 50-300 IU daily (one or two injections per day) for 10 days in cycle | Subcutaneous Injection | Serono |
| Novarel | A human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) that is used to stimulate egg release (ovulation) after gonadotropin stimulation | 1 injection 34-38 hours before egg retrieval or ovulation | Subcutaneous Injection | Ferring Fertility |
| Pregnyl | A highly purified preparation of human chorionic gonadotropin that causes ovulation to begin | 1 injection before 34-38 hours before egg retrieval or ovulation | Subcutaneous Injection | Schering-Plough |
| Repronex | Highly purified mixture of human follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH), used to induce productions of eggs. | 1-3 vial 75 vial once or twice a day alone or in conjunction with Follistim, Gonal-f RFF, or Bravelle for an ovulation induction or in vitro fertilization cycle | Subcutaneous Injection | Ferring Fertility |
