Cinvanti, Aponvie, Emend, Emend Bipack, Emend Tripack

Introduction

Written by Rachel Maynard, PharmD
Medically reviewed by Melissa Badowski, PharmD, MPH, FCCP
Updated on January 4, 2024

Aprepitant (ap RE pi tant) is a generic medication that’s prescribed to prevent nausea and vomiting. The brand-name versions of this drug are Aponvie, Cinvanti, and Emend. The cost of aprepitant with or without insurance can depend on several factors. It might be lowered by using a coupon.

Specifically, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved aprepitant to prevent:

• nausea and vomiting due to some types of chemotherapy treatments for cancer
• nausea and vomiting after surgery

Read on to learn about aprepitant and cost. You’ll also find available coupons and suggestions for ways to save on your prescription. If you’d like more information about aprepitant, including its uses, talk with your doctor or pharmacist. 

Cost of aprepitant

Like other medications, the cost of aprepitant can vary. Certain factors may affect its price, such as:

• your insurance plan, if you have coverage
• the pharmacy you use
• the cost to visit a healthcare professional to receive doses of aprepitant

To find out how much aprepitant costs, ask your doctor, pharmacist, or insurance provider. They may be able to suggest ways to save money on your prescription, including those described in this article. To find out what you’d pay using savings coupons, read the “Coupons for aprepitant” section.

Coupons for aprepitant

Prescription drug coupons can help you save money by lowering the cost of aprepitant. The Optum Perks coupons above can provide significant savings on your prescription costs.

Note: Optum Perks coupons cannot be used with any insurance copays or benefits.

Available app for coupons

To make finding and using these coupons easier, you can download the Optum Perks app. To learn more about this prescription discount app, see this article.

Insurance and other considerations for aprepitant

Here’s a list of things to consider about the cost of prescription drugs:

• Prior authorization: If you have prescription drug insurance, your insurance company may require prior authorization before it covers the cost of aprepitant. In this case, your doctor will communicate with your insurance company regarding your prescription for aprepitant. The insurance company will decide whether to cover the medication. If a drug requires prior authorization and you begin taking it without this, you may have to pay the full price of the drug.
• Insurance coverage: Even if your policy has prescription drug coverage, the price of aprepitant may instead be billed through your medical coverage. This is because sometimes a doctor or another healthcare professional gives doses of aprepitant. The cost of your doses will depend on your specific insurance plan and whether you receive the doses at your doctor’s clinic or a hospital. If you have questions about this process, contact your doctor or your insurance provider.
• Savings accounts: If you’re eligible for a health savings account (HSA) or a flexible spending account (FSA), you can likely use funds from these accounts to pay for your prescription or over-the-counter (OTC) medications. HSA and FSA plans help people save money by using pretax dollars to pay for eligible healthcare expenses, such as prescription and OTC drugs. To learn more about whether you’re eligible for these savings accounts and how to use them, talk with your insurance provider or employer.

If you have questions about any of these considerations, ask your doctor or pharmacist. Or contact your insurance company and talk with a representative.

If you don’t have a health insurance plan, let your doctor or pharmacist know. They may suggest online pharmacy options you could use. You can also ask them about ways to obtain health insurance coverage.

Generics vs. brand-names

Aprepitant is a generic medication. Its brand-name versions are shown in the following table:

A generic medication is an identical copy of the active ingredient in a brand-name medication. (An active ingredient is what makes a medication work.) Generics usually cost less than brand-name drugs. And they’re thought to be as safe and effective as the brand-name versions.

If your doctor has prescribed aprepitant but you’re interested in taking Aponvie, Cinvanti, or Emend, let them know. They may have a reason to prescribe one medication over the other. Also, check which forms of the drug your insurance plan covers, as it may not cover all forms.

To learn how the cost of aprepitant compares with its brand-name versions, talk with your doctor or pharmacist. You could also contact your insurance company. 

Common questions about aprepitant and cost

Here are some common questions and answers about aprepitant.

Is aprepitant covered by Medicare?

It depends. Medicare is similar to other insurance plans in that its prescription drug coverage may vary based on your specific plan.

The price you’ll pay for aprepitant can also vary due to other factors, including where you get the drug. For instance, the cost of the medication may be different at a pharmacy versus at a clinic or hospital. It may also depend on whether you’ve paid your deductible for the year.

Talk with your insurance provider, pharmacist, or doctor to find out whether aprepitant is covered by your Medicare plan. They can also help you find out how much it will cost.

Do some forms of aprepitant cost less than others?

It’s possible that some forms of aprepitant may cost less than others. There are several forms of aprepitant. They include:

• an oral capsule that you swallow
• an oral suspension (liquid) that you swallow
• an injection that’s given intravenously (into a vein) by a healthcare professional

Some of these forms are only available as brand names, which may cost more than generics. The “Generic vs. brand name” section explains which forms of aprepitant are generic and which are brand names.

Talk to your insurance provider, pharmacist, or doctor if you want to know whether some forms of aprepitant cost less than other forms.

Why are costs different for brand-name drugs vs. generic drugs?

Brand-name drugs can be expensive because of the studies needed to test how safe and effective they are.

Makers of a brand-name drug can sell their drug for up to 20 years. When the patent for a brand-name drug expires, other drugmakers can make and sell generic versions. A generic medication is an identical copy of the active ingredient in a brand-name medication. (An active ingredient is what makes a medication work.)

This competition may help keep costs of generic medications lower. Also, generic medications contain the same active ingredients as brand-name medications. So they don’t require the same testing, which can be costly.

If you’d like to know more about the cost differences between brand-name and generic drugs, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.

What to ask about aprepitant

This article provides cost information related to aprepitant. It also offers suggestions for ways to save money on your prescription. Above on this page, you’ll find coupons for aprepitant.

If you have more questions about paying for this medication, ask your doctor or pharmacist. You can also contact your insurance company.

Here’s a list of questions you may want to ask regarding the cost of your medication:

• Does my insurance cover the cost of aprepitant?
• Do some forms of aprepitant cost less than others?
• Could you prescribe a generic instead of a brand-name version of this drug?
• Are there other low cost drugs that I could use instead of aprepitant?
• What options are available if I can’t afford my medication?

Resources

• Aprepitant capsule. (2022). https://nctr-crs.fda.gov/fdalabel/services/spl/set-ids/af9b6086-4bf2-472c-8740-4134eaaebace/spl-doc
• Food and Drug Administration. (2024). Orange Book: Approved drug products with therapeutic equivalence evaluations. https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cder/ob/index.cfm

Disclaimer: Optum Perks 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.