Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation is committed to supporting you and your patients who are considering or have been prescribed Sandostatin®. As part of that commitment, the SandoSupport Program provides a variety of resources and information to both healthcare providers and patients. These resources are aimed at helping you to provide the best care for your patients.
SandoSupport offers resources and information that support 3 key areas to help you optimize patient care:
1. Education
- By providing up-to-date information for patients and healthcare professionals that educate about the disease and treatment, SandoSupport encourages patients to feel confident about their disease management
2. Access
- SandoSupport provides peace of mind to patients and healthcare professionals through resources that help ensure eligible patients can access and receive the medical care they need
3. Treatment
- SandoSupport offers resources and information for both healthcare providers and patients about their treatment
Education
Novartis Medical Information and Communication
Get quick and accurate information about specific drug usages by calling 1-888-669-6682.
Access
1-877-LAR-HELP
Call to speak with a dedicated Patient Care Specialist who can provide you with timely, accurate information regarding insurance verification, acquisition, billing, coding, claims appeal, and much more. Hours of operation: Monday through Friday, 8 AM to 7 PM EST.
Find out what the Sandostatin® Support Hotline can do for you.
Sandostatin® Starter Program
Give eligible patients access to therapy with 28 days of daily, immediate-release Sandostatin® Injection at no cost*:
- Must be covered by their third-party payer for Sandostatin® LAR Depot
- Have no prescription benefits for immediate-release Sandostatin® Injection
- Meet certain income eligibility requirements
- Have one of the following diagnoses: acromegaly, carcinoid syndrome, or VIPomas
- Call 1-877-LAR-HELP and a Sandostatin® Patient Care Consultant will screen the patient for financial eligibility
Please keep in mind:
- Acceptance for the Sandostatin® Starter Program is based on financial eligibility
- The program is limited to 1 time per patient
- If the doctor's office is unable to obtain the patient's income, a Sandostatin® Patient Care Consultant will contact the patient to verify the patient's income (the doctor's office must authorize the specialist to contact the patient directly)
- A Sandostatin® Patient Care Consultant will arrange for shipping immediate-release Sandostatin® Injection directly to the physician's office or to the patient's home for next-day delivery
- The physician may not bill for sample product provided under the program
*Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation reserves the right to discontinue or modify the Sandostatin® Starter Program at any time.
Patient Assistance Program
The Novartis Patient Assistance Fund Inc. (PAF) provides assistance to patients experiencing financial hardship who have no third-party insurance coverage. For more information, visit www.pap.novartis.com.
Treatment
Live in-service mixing and administration demonstrations by Sandostatin® Sales Specialists for healthcare professionals to reinforce best practices for patient care.
Product Replacement Resource
Novartis Pharmaceutical Corporation will replace product at no charge if drug administration does not go as planned, helping to ensure peace of mind when administering Sandostatin® LAR Depot.
Clinical Nurse Educators
As part of the Novartis commitment to supporting your practice, Clinical Nurse Educators are also available to answer clinical questions and provide tips on how to optimize administration technique. Contact your Sandostatin® Sales Specialist for more information.
SandoSupport for Your Patients and You
Programs specifically for patients taking Sandostatin® LAR Depot include:
- The Sandostatin® Starter Program for coverage of immediate-release Sandostatin® Injection during initiation of therapy with Sandostatin® LAR Depot
- The Nurse Home Injection Program for eligible patients with carcinoid syndrome or acromegaly, providing at-home injection programs
- The Patient Assistance Program for qualified indigent patients
Programs to support your practice include:
- Schedule an in-office Mixing and Administration Demonstration
- Novartis Medical Information and Communication Department
- The Sandostatin® Support Hotline
INDICATIONS AND USAGE
Sandostatin® LAR Depot (octreotide acetate for injectable suspension) is indicated for patients in whom initial treatment with immediate release Sandostatin® (octreotide acetate) Injection has been shown to be effective and tolerated for:
- Long-term maintenance therapy in acromegalic patients who have had inadequate response to surgery and/or radiotherapy or for whom surgery and/or radiotherapy is not an option (the goal of treatment in acromegaly is to reduce GH and IGF-1 levels to normal).
- Long-term treatment of the severe diarrhea and flushing episodes associated with metastatic carcinoid tumors.
- Long-term treatment of the profuse watery diarrhea associated with VIP-secreting tumors.
In patients with carcinoid syndrome and VIPomas, the effect of Sandostatin Injection and Sandostatin LAR Depot on tumor size, rate of growth and development of metastases has not been determined.
IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION
Warnings and Precautions:
- Gallbladder abnormalities may occur: Patients should be monitored periodically.
- Glucose Metabolism: Hypoglycemia or hyperglycemia may occur. Blood glucose levels should be monitored when Sandostatin LAR Depot treatment is initiated or when the dose is altered. Antidiabetic treatment should be adjusted accordingly.
- Thyroid Function: Hypothyroidism may occur. Baseline and periodic assessment of thyroid function (TSH, total and/or free T4) is recommended.
- Cardiac Function: Bradycardia, arrhythmia, conduction abnormalities, and other EKG changes may occur. The relationship of these events to octreotide acetate is not established because many of these patients have underlying cardiac disease. Use with caution in at-risk patients.
- Nutrition: Octreotide may alter absorption of dietary fats. Monitoring of vitamin B12 levels is recommended during therapy with Sandostatin LAR Depot. Patients on total parenteral nutrition (TPN) and octreotide should have periodic monitoring of zinc levels.
Drug Interactions: The following drugs require monitoring and possible dose adjustment when used with Sandostatin LAR Depot: cyclosporine, insulin, oral hypoglycemic agents, beta-blockers, bromocriptine. Octreotide has been associated with alterations in nutrient absorption, so it may have an effect on absorption of orally administered drugs. Drugs mainly metabolized by CYP3A4 and which have a low therapeutic index should be used with caution.
Adverse Reactions: The most common adverse reactions occurring in patients receiving Sandostatin LAR Depot are:
- Acromegaly: biliary abnormalities (52%), diarrhea (36-48%), cholelithiasis (13-38%), abdominal pain or discomfort (11-29%), flatulence (26%), influenza-like symptoms (20%), constipation (19%), headache (15%), anemia (15%), hyperglycemia (15%), injection site pain (2-14%), hypertension (13%), dizziness (12%), fatigue (11%), nausea (10%), vomiting (7%), hypothyroidism (2%), hypoglycemia (2%), and goiter (2%).
- Carcinoid Tumors and VIPomas: biliary abnormalities (62%), injection site pain (20-50%), nausea (24-41%), abdominal pain (10-35%), fatigue (8-32%), headache (16-30%), hyperglycemia (27%), back pain (8-27%), constipation or vomiting (15-21%), dizziness (18-20%), sinus bradycardia (19%), pruritus (18%), URTI (10-18%), myalgia (4-18%), flatulence (9-16%), arthropathy (8-15%), rash (15%), generalized pain (4-15%), sinusitis (5-12%), conduction abnormalities (9%), hypoglycemia (4%), and arrhythmia (3%).
