Rituxan

Introduction

Written by Kirstyn Hill, PharmD, MPH
Medically reviewed by Christina Bookwalter PharmD, MS, MEd, BCPS, BCACP
Updated on June 10, 2024

Rituxan is a brand-name biologic medication that’s prescribed to treat non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL) and other conditions in adults and some children. It’s available in biosimilar versions. The active ingredient is rituximab. The cost of Rituxan 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 Rituxan to treat:

• certain forms of NHL in adults and children ages 6 months and older
• mature B-cell leukemia in children ages 6 months and older
• chronic lymphocytic leukemia in adults
• rheumatoid arthritis in adults
• granulomatosis with polyangiitis and microscopic polyangiitis in adults and children ages 2 years and older
• moderate to severe pemphigus vulgaris in adults

Rituxan comes as a liquid solution. It’s given as an intravenous (IV) infusion by a healthcare professional in a doctor’s office, clinic, or hospital.

Read on to learn about Rituxan and cost. You’ll also find available coupons and suggestions for ways to save on your prescription. If you’d like more information about Rituxan, including its uses, refer to this overview article. 

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Cost of Rituxan

Like other medications, the cost of Rituxan 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 Rituxan
• the amount prescribed

To find out how much Rituxan 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 Rituxan” section.

Coupons for Rituxan

Prescription drug coupons can help you save money by lowering the cost of Rituxan. 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 Rituxan

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 Rituxan. In this case, your doctor will communicate with your insurance company regarding your prescription for Rituxan. The insurance company will decide whether to cover the medication. If a drug requires prior authorization and you begin using 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 Rituxan may instead be billed through your medical coverage. This is because a doctor or another healthcare professional gives doses of Rituxan. 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.

Brand names vs. biosimilars

Rituxan is a brand-name biologic medication. It’s available in biosimilar versions. The active ingredient is rituximab.

How biosimilars and generics compare

A biosimilar medication is a drug that’s similar to a brand-name biologic drug (the parent drug). 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.)

Biosimilars tend to cost less than brand-name biologic medications. Like generics, biosimilars are thought to be as safe and effective as the brand-name version.

If your doctor has prescribed Rituxan, but you’re interested in a biosimilar drug, let them know. They may have a reason to prescribe one medication over the other. Also, check which versions of the drug your insurance plan covers, as it may not cover all medications.

Why costs are different for brand-name biologic drugs vs. biosimilar drugs

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

Makers of a biologic drug can patent and sell their drug for up to 12 years. When the patent for a brand-name biologic drug expires, other drugmakers can make and sell biosimilar versions. 

This competition may help keep the costs of biosimilar medications lower. Also, biosimilar medications are very similar to biologic drugs. So they don’t require the same testing, which may be costly.

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

Common questions about Rituxan and cost

Here are some common questions and answers about Rituxan.

Is Rituxan covered by Medicare?

Drug coverage depends on your Medicare drug plan. Each Medicare plan has its own drug list, also called a formulary. If Rituxan is not on your plan’s drug list, a different medication may be available to treat your condition. 

If your drug plan does cover Rituxan, the cost may differ based on your Medicare plan and whether you have paid your deductible for the year. If you’d like to know more about whether Rituxan is covered by Medicare, talk with your Medicare plan provider, doctor, or pharmacist.

Is Rituxan covered by insurance?

It depends. Each insurance plan has its own drug list, called a formulary. If Rituxan is not on your plan’s drug list, a different medication may be recommended to treat your condition. If your drug plan does cover Rituxan, the cost may differ based on your insurance plan and whether you have paid your deductible for the year. 

If you’d like to know more about whether Rituxan is covered by your insurance, talk with your insurance provider, doctor, or pharmacist. 

How much does Rituxan cost?

The cost of a Rituxan infusion varies. The actual price you’ll pay depends on several factors, including your insurance plan. (See the “Insurance and other considerations” section.)

Rituxan is an infusion that is administered by a healthcare professional in a clinic or hospital setting. Therefore, the cost of Rituxan infusion may include more than just the drug itself.

For more information about what you can expect to pay for Rituxan, contact your insurance provider or pharmacist. Also, see the “Coupons for Rituxan” section for potential savings with Optum Perks coupons.

What biosimilar options are available for Rituxan?

Rituxan is a biologic drug, which means it’s made from parts of living cells. It has several biosimilar versions. Biosimilars are like generic drugs. But unlike generics, which are made for nonbiologic drugs, biosimilars are made for biologic drugs.

The following biosimilars of Rituxan are available:

• Riabni
• Ruxience
• Truxima

Biosimilars are considered to be just as safe and effective as their parent drug. And like generics, biosimilars tend to cost less than brand-name medications.

Resources

• Food and Drug Administration. (2024). Purple Book: Database of licensed biological products. https://purplebooksearch.fda.gov
• Rituxan (rituximab) injection, for intravenous use. (2021). https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2021/103705s5467lbl.pdf
• Ruxience- rituximab-pvvr injection, solution. (2023). https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/spl/data/7b46204f-1661-40a2-8926-3811582bebe0/7b46204f-1661-40a2-8926-3811582bebe0.xml

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.