Apretude (cabotegravir) is a brand-name prescription medication. It’s approved by The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) in certain adults and adolescents. Apretude helps lower the risk of HIV from sexual activity. For more information about Apretude’s uses, refer to this article.

Drug details

Here are some details about Apretude:

Read on to learn about Apretude, cost, coverage, as well as how to save money on prescriptions.

As with all medications, the cost of Apretude can vary. Factors that may affect the price you’ll pay include:

  • your treatment plan
  • your insurance coverage
  • the pharmacy you use
  • the cost of the visit to your healthcare professional to receive doses of Apretude
  • whether Apretude has a savings program (see “Financial and insurance assistance” below)

To find out what the cost of Apretude will be for you, talk with your doctor, pharmacist, or insurance provider.

Insurance considerations

Below is information you may want to consider if you have insurance and receive Apretude.

Prior authorization. If you have insurance, your insurance company may require prior authorization before it covers Apretude. This means the company and your doctor will discuss Apretude in regard to your treatment. The insurance company will then determine whether the medication is covered. If a drug requires prior authorization but you start treatment without the prior approval, you could pay the full cost of the medication. You can ask your insurance company whether Apretude requires prior authorization.

Type of insurance coverage. Apretude is given by your doctor or another healthcare professional. If you have insurance, the price of your Apretude doses may be billed through your primary health insurance instead of the prescription drug portion of your insurance. This depends on your insurance coverage and where you receive your Apretude doses, such as at your doctor’s office, an infusion clinic, or a hospital. If you have questions about this process, contact your doctor or your insurance provider.

If you need financial support to pay for Apretude or if you need help understanding your insurance coverage, help is available. For example:

  • The Apretude Savings Program is available to help with the cost of your copay. For more information and to find out if you’re eligible for support, visit the program website.
  • ViiV Healthcare, the distributor of Apretude, offers a resource called ViiV Connect. To learn about possible savings and assistance options for Apretude, visit the ViiV Connect website or call 844-588-3288.
  • Some websites provide details about drug assistance programs, ways to make the most of your insurance coverage, and links to savings cards and other services. Two such websites are:

To learn more about saving money on prescriptions with or without insurance, check out this article.

Apretude is available only as a brand-name drug. It doesn’t come in a generic version. A generic drug is an exact copy of the active drug in a brand-name medication.

Generics tend to cost less than brand-name drugs.

WHY ARE COSTS DIFFERENT FOR BRAND-NAME DRUGS VS. GENERIC DRUGS?

Brand-name drugs can be expensive because of the research needed to test their safety and effectiveness. The manufacturer of a brand-name drug can sell it for up to 20 years. When the brand-name drug’s patent expires, multiple manufacturers can create generic versions. This marketplace competition may lead to lower costs for generics. Also, because generics contain the same active ingredients as brand-name drugs, they don’t require the same costly testing.

Now that you’ve learned about cost and Apretude, you may still have some questions. Talk with your doctor or pharmacist, who can provide personalized guidance about cost issues related to Apretude. But if you have health insurance, you’ll need to talk with your insurance provider to learn the actual cost you would pay for Apretude.

Here are some other resources you may find helpful:

Disclaimer: Medical News Today has made every effort to make certain that all information is factually correct, comprehensive, and up to date. However, this article should not be used as a substitute for the knowledge and expertise of a licensed healthcare professional. You should always consult your doctor or another healthcare professional before taking any medication. The drug information contained herein is subject to change and is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. The absence of warnings or other information for a given drug does not indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective, or appropriate for all patients or all specific uses.