Important Note on Drug Costs to VOA Patients

Virginia Oncology Associates is working with the US Oncology Network to lower drug costs for our patients with cancer.  While we do not set the pricing for drugs, we do have opportunities to choose which brand or version of a given drug we will stock.  In so doing, we support competition among the manufacturers which drives down the cost for both patients and for the insurance companies.

Recently, some of the most costly agents that we use, the biological agents / monoclonal antibodies, have lost patents and are now available from various sources, allowing us to potentially lower costs for our patients, our practice, and insurance companies without compromising effectiveness or patient safety.  As we make the conversion to alternative versions of these drugs, you may see your out-of-pocket cost change significantly. 

Below is a current list of the drugs for which we have chosen a biosimilar product.  If you have questions about this, please address them with your provider.  The VOA pharmacists are also willing to answer any questions that you may have.

Monoclonal Antibodies Moving to Competitive Brands:

• Rituxan                                 
• Neupogen
• Herceptin                            
• Procrit
• Avastin                                 
• Neulasta