Is Pentox going away? (not being manufactured anymore)

[charlie44]

Got a letter from my insurer saying they will not cover Pentox in 2014....said there is an over the counter option (b.s.) Called my pharmacist and she said there are some notes saying "Trental" is being discontinued for 2014. I assume there are multiple manufacturers. Anyone else heard of any Pentox supply or manufacturing issue for 2014 moving forward?

[George999]

Pentoxifylline is still used for multiple applications.  I sincerely doubt that it is going away soon.  I have done a Google search which reveals absolutely nothing in that regards.  As far as I know, Trental IS still being manufactured as well.  Insurance companies are famous for getting their wires crossed on these things.  I suspect that what your insurer has done is looked at their matrix for Peyronie's and has decided that Vitamin E is a more appropriate treatment than Pentoxifylline.  Why insurance company doctors are allowed to practice medicine is beyond me, but they insist on making decisions inconsistent with the patients' doctors.  Your case smells strongly of this.  You probably need your doctor to write a letter to the insurance company stating that Pentoxifylline is the appropriate drug.  However, there appears to be a more effective formulation of Pentoxifylline on the way:

Worldwide, there are over 5,000,000 people living with Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF)(IPF Coalition). IPF therapy sales across the US, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the UK to rise to over $1.1 billion by 2017, at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 86.6% (RnR Market Research, 2013). IPF kills more patients per year than either prostate or breast cancer.


Pacific Therapeutics Ltd. (the "Company") lead drug candidate for fibrosis (progressive scarring of the organ), PTL-202 is a combination of Pentoxifylline (a FDA approved drug used for treating leg cramps) and N-Acetyl-Cysteine (NAC) an amino acid and an extremely potent and important antioxidant.


As previously announced the company has completed a phase 1 trial of the combination in humans. The positive results from the phase 1 clinical trial and positive pre-clinical results, will lead to further development of the product for treating fibrosis such as Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis and Liver Cirrhosis.

The Newswire