Newest Medication
Has anyone tried or is using the FDA approved medicine Ensifentrine (Ohtuvayre)?
Hi
. I haven't seen anything from members who have taken it yet, but I hope you get some responses. Here is a link to another post where someone asked about it as well: https://copd.net/forums/ohtuvayre. Are you considering asking your doctor to prescribe Ensiferntrine? Best wishes. - Lori (Team Member) Hi Lori. He has prescribed it. The reps are making the rounds. Very aggressive phone calls to tell me I qualified (as it is a nebulized med, it is covered 100% by Medicare). They also partner with the pharmacy Direct Rx who makes as many phone calls. My concern is there is not much real world info about it. I live in rural NC, and I would be concerned that one of the possible side effects is difficulty breathing. I specifically have bullous emphysema, and COPD is too broad a scope for me to say it works. If I had a problem, how much info is out there to help the hospital in an emergency? The 2nd thing I am hesitant about is the price; $3,000/mo. While covered by Medicare and plans are available to help others with discounts, the expectation is to jump right on and signup for a minimum one month supply. It seems odd to me that if they are just small ampules, it should be easy to make sample available to try first. I don't even think Medicare should have to commit to such a purchase if there are problems with the med. Who knows? It may be the miracle med they claim it to be and my scrutinies are moot points in the end. Maybe since they are in Raleigh NC and London maybe we are the guinea pigs of distribution as release was stated to be third quarter 2024...
You are wise to be cautious with anything that is new to the market,
. Have you considered asking your doctor for a few more months? That might give you time to gather feedback from others and get a better feel for whether it is something you want to try. - Lori (Team Member) 
Thank you for your post about this new medication. Ensifentrine (marketed as Ohtuvayre) is a novel treatment that acts as a dual inhibitor of phosphodiesterase-3 (PDE3) and phosphodiesterase-4 (PDE4) -- as you can see here (https://copd.net/treatment/medication-overview/beta-agonists). By inhibiting these enzymes, it reduces inflammation and relaxes the airways, improving breathing in people with COPD and asthma. As Lori noted above, it’s wise to be cautious with any new medication. However, the FDA is very strict in its approval process, and Ensifentrine has been thoroughly tested, showing both safety and effectiveness in improving lung function for those who have used it. With this additional information, it might be worth discussing this treatment further with your doctor, who may also offer suggestions on how to afford it. What do you think? Also, perhaps your doctor, or the reps you talked with, can offer you testimonies from those who have benefited from it. Wishing you all the best. John. community moderator.
