Key takeaways

  • Tepezza is a prescription drug used to reduce the symptoms of thyroid eye disease (TED) in adults.
  • The price of Tepezza can vary based on your insurance coverage, treatment plan, and pharmacy used.
  • A cost assistance program called Amgen By Your Side may be available to help cover the price of Tepezza treatment.

Tepezza (teprotumumab-trbw) comes as a powder that’s mixed into a liquid solution and given as an intravenous (IV) infusion (an injection into a vein given over time). You’ll likely receive your doses of Tepezza at a doctor’s office, a hospital, or an infusion suite.

The price of Tepezza can vary. Your cost may depend on your treatment plan, your insurance coverage (if you have it), and the pharmacy used. It will also depend on how much you’ll pay for an office visit with your doctor to receive Tepezza infusions.

To find out how much you’ll pay for Tepezza, talk with your doctor or insurance provider.

Here are answers to some common questions about Tepezza and cost.

What’s Tepezza’s cost per month?

Tepezza isn’t a monthly medication. The recommended full course of Tepezza treatment for TED consists of eight IV infusions administered over approximately 5 months. Your cost will depend on several factors, including:

  • whether you qualify for and use a savings program
  • the number of Tepezza infusions you receive
  • your treatment plan
  • your insurance coverage

To find out how much Tepezza may cost you, talk with your doctor or pharmacist. If you have insurance, call your insurer to find out whether Tepezza is covered and to what extent.

How much does Tepezza cost if I have Medicare?

To find out whether your Medicare plan covers the cost of Tepezza, call your plan provider. There are many types of Medicare plans, and your cost and coverage depend on your particular plan’s benefits.

Your final cost may also depend on the price of receiving Tepezza at a doctor’s office or clinic.

You can also ask your doctor about the cost of Tepezza if you have Medicare.

If you need help covering the cost of Tepezza or understanding your insurance, check out these websites:

On these sites, you can find insurance information, details on drug assistance programs, and links to savings cards and other services.

If you have questions about how to pay for your prescription, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.

Tepezza only comes as a brand-name biologic drug. It’s not currently available as a biosimilar.

Note: Traditional drugs are made using chemicals, while biologics are made using parts of living cells. This allows traditional drugs to have generics that are exact copies of the brand-name drug. However, biologics cannot be copied exactly, so they have biosimilars instead of generics. As with generics, biosimilars are considered to be as safe and effective as the original brand-name drug, but tend to cost less.

Why is there such a cost difference between biologic drugs and biosimilar drugs?

Biologic drugs can be expensive because of the research and testing needed to ensure their safety and effectiveness. The manufacturer of a biologic drug can sell it for up to 12 years. When the biologic drug’s patent expires, other drugmakers can create biosimilar versions. This competition in the market may lead to lower costs for biosimilars. And because biosimilars are very similar to biologic drugs, they don’t need to be studied again. This can also lead to lower costs for biosimilars.

Disclaimer: Healthline 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.