Tezspire

Introduction

Written by Dena Westphalen, PharmD
Medically reviewed by Alex Brewer, PharmD, MBA
Updated on June 12, 2024

Tezspire is a brand-name medication that’s prescribed for asthma. Tezspire is not available in a generic version. The cost of Tezspire with or without insurance can depend on several factors. It might be lowered by using a coupon.

Tezspire comes as a solution for injection under your skin. It’s available in:

• a single-dose prefilled pen
• a single-dose prefilled syringe
• a single-dose glass vial, for use with disposable needles and syringes

Tezspire injections can be done by a doctor or other healthcare professional or they can be self-administered.

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

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Cost of Tezspire

Like other medications, the cost of Tezspire 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 injections of Tezspire, if you don’t inject doses yourself
• the cost to purchase needles and syringes to use with Tezspire, if you’re prescribed the single-dose vials  
• the amount prescribed
• the drug form you’re prescribed

To find out how much Tezspire 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 Tezspire” section.

Coupons for Tezspire

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

Note: Optum Perks coupons can’t be used with 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 Tezspire

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 Tezspire. In this case, your doctor will communicate with your insurance company regarding your prescription for Tezspire. 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 Tezspire may instead be billed through your medical coverage. This is because you may choose to have a doctor or another healthcare professional give you your Tezspire injections. The cost of your doses will depend on your specific insurance plan and whether you receive the injections at your doctor’s clinic or a hospital. If you have questions about this, contact your doctor or your insurance provider.
• A 3-month supply: If you’re using Tezspire long term, your doctor may suggest a 90-day supply of the medication. This will have to be approved by your insurance company. Getting a 90-day supply could help lower the drug’s cost. It could also save you time having to make trips to your pharmacy.
• 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

Tezspire is a brand-name medication. It’s not available in a biosimilar version.

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 medication work.

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

Talk with your doctor or pharmacist if you have questions about biosimilar and brand-name 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 brand-name 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 Tezspire and cost

Here are some common questions and answers about Tezspire.  

What kind of medication is Tezspire, and does this affect its cost?

Tezspire is a type of drug known as a monoclonal antibody. Tezspire is not a steroid like many other medications used to treat asthma. Ultimately the cost of Tezspire will depend on several factors, including your insurance coverage (if you have any) and the pharmacy you use.

If you have questions about how much Tezspire will cost or how the cost compares to other medications used for asthma, talk with your doctor, insurance provider, or pharmacist.

Does the form of Tezspire affect the cost?

It’s possible. Tezspire is a solution for injection, but it comes in three forms of packaging. Tezspire is available as a prefilled pen, a prefilled syringe, and a vial that can be used once. The cost may vary across depending on which Tezspire form you use. Also, the cost of different forms of Tezspire can depend on factors including your insurance coverage (if you have any) and the pharmacy you choose.

If you have questions about how much the different forms of Tezspire will cost, talk with your insurance provider, doctor, or pharmacist.

Resources

• Food and Drug Administration. (2024). Purple Book: Database of licensed biological products. https://purplebooksearch.fda.gov
• Tezspire (tezepelumab-ekko) injection, for subcutaneous use. (2023). https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2023/761224s003lbl.pdf

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.