How to Help Your Patients Save Money on Sandostatin: A Provider's Guide to Savings Programs

As a prescriber, you're uniquely positioned to intervene before cost becomes a clinical problem for your octreotide patients. Sandostatin LAR Depot costs $6,700–$8,500 per monthly injection at retail — among the highest-cost specialty medications in any therapeutic area. Without proactive financial support, cost barriers can lead to delayed refills, dose reductions, or outright discontinuation.

This guide covers every relevant savings program, generic option, and workflow strategy to make Sandostatin and octreotide more accessible for your patients.

Understanding the Octreotide Cost Landscape

Before recommending savings programs, knowing your starting point helps you anticipate where patients will hit barriers:

• Generic immediate-release injection: $40–$110 for 10 vials (100 mcg/mL) with a coupon — widely affordable for most patients.
• Sandostatin LAR Depot (Novartis brand): $6,700–$8,500 per monthly injection retail.
• Generic octreotide LAR (Teva): $3,000–$5,500 per monthly injection — 40–50% less than brand.
• Mycapssa (oral octreotide): $8,000–$10,000 per month.

For commercially insured patients, specialty tier copays can range from $100 to $500+ per month even with coverage — before copay assistance is applied.

Program 1: Novartis Patient Support Copay Assistance Card

The Novartis copay assistance card is the highest-impact savings tool for commercially insured patients on Sandostatin LAR Depot:

• Benefit: Covers up to $15,000 per calendar year in patient out-of-pocket costs. Many commercially insured patients pay $0 per month.
• Eligibility: Commercially insured patients only. Not available for Medicare, Medicaid, or other federal healthcare programs.
• How to enroll: Contact Novartis Patient Support at 1-800-277-2254. Most specialty pharmacies auto-enroll patients at the time of dispensing. Can also be initiated directly from your office.
• Clinical note: Because this card can cover the entire copay burden for brand Sandostatin LAR, some commercially insured patients will actually pay less for brand than for generic — depending on their plan's copay structure. This is a key point to discuss with patients facing a generic substitution decision.

Program 2: Novartis Patient Assistance Foundation

For uninsured or underinsured patients who meet income criteria, the Novartis Patient Assistance Foundation provides Sandostatin at no cost. This is one of the most robust manufacturer PAPs in specialty pharmacy.

• Eligibility criteria: U.S. resident with a valid prescription; household income typically at or below 400–500% of the federal poverty level; uninsured, underinsured, or unable to afford medication even with coverage.
• Process: Your office completes a brief enrollment form and provides a prescription. Turnaround is typically 1–2 weeks for initial approval. Medication is shipped directly to your clinic or the patient's home.
• Contact: 1-800-277-2254

Program 3: PAN Foundation — Neuroendocrine Tumor Copay Assistance

The Patient Access Network (PAN) Foundation offers copay assistance for insured patients with neuroendocrine tumors. Funds are disease-specific and availability fluctuates throughout the year.

• What it covers: Copays, coinsurance, and deductibles for eligible patients with insurance.
• Key consideration: Funds open and close periodically. Encourage patients to apply early and check back if waitlisted. The fund at panfoundation.org is worth bookmarking for your octreotide patients.

Program 4: HealthWell Foundation

The HealthWell Foundation offers grants for patients with acromegaly and neuroendocrine tumors, covering copays and — in some cases — insurance premiums. Grant availability varies. Direct patients to healthwellfoundation.org to check current fund status and eligibility.

Generic Prescribing Strategy: A Meaningful Cost Reduction

With Teva's generic octreotide LAR approved in October 2024 (and Viatris' generic approved in 2025), explicitly prescribing generic octreotide LAR — and allowing generic substitution — can save patients $2,000–$5,000 per month.

Key considerations for generic LAR prescribing:

• Bioequivalence: Teva's generic and Viatris' generic are FDA-approved as bioequivalent to Sandostatin LAR Depot. Clinical efficacy should be equivalent at the same dose.
• Formulary: Not all plans have the generic LAR on formulary yet. Verify coverage before writing the prescription as generic-only.
• Caveat for brand patients: Some commercially insured patients on brand Sandostatin LAR with a Novartis copay card may actually pay less for the brand than for the generic. Run the numbers with your patient and their specialty pharmacy before switching.

Prescription Discount Cards: Most Useful for Immediate-Release Octreotide

Discount cards like GoodRx and SingleCare provide the most meaningful savings for generic immediate-release octreotide injection:

• GoodRx: Generic octreotide injection at $40–$80 for 10 vials at retail pharmacies
• SingleCare: Prices as low as $41.21 for 10 vials (100 mcg/mL)
• Note: Discount cards cannot be combined with insurance and have minimal impact on LAR formulations (which cost $3,000+ even with discounts).

Clinical Workflow: Proactive Financial Support at the Point of Prescribing

Consider building the following steps into your workflow for new octreotide prescriptions:

1. Step 1: Verify insurance coverage and specialty tier copay structure before prescribing.
2. Step 2: For commercially insured patients: enroll in Novartis copay assistance at the same time as prescribing.
3. Step 3: For uninsured or Medicare patients: initiate Novartis Patient Assistance Foundation paperwork immediately.
4. Step 4: Provide the patient with a one-page handout listing Novartis Patient Support (1-800-277-2254), PAN Foundation, HealthWell Foundation contacts, and specialty pharmacies in your network.
5. Step 5: Set a 30-day follow-up to confirm the patient was able to obtain their medication and is enrolled in the appropriate assistance program.

For a complete provider resource on the current Sandostatin supply situation, read our provider shortage briefing. And if your patients are having trouble locating Sandostatin in stock, direct them to medfinder.com/providers for tools to help patients find pharmacies with current availability.