Bicalutamide Coupons & Prices

If you are looking for a bicalutamide coupon, bicalutamide is the generic version of the brand Casodex, and it is widely available in the U.S. The catch is that the cash price for the same 50 mg tablets can differ a lot from one pharmacy to the next, even between two stores on the same street, so the pharmacy you choose often matters as much as the coupon itself. Rx.com compares cash prices at more than 60,000 U.S. pharmacies and gives you a free discount coupon you can hand to the pharmacist. Enter your ZIP code above to see today's price near you.

What is bicalutamide and how does it work?

Bicalutamide is a nonsteroidal antiandrogen, also called an androgen receptor inhibitor. It is a first-generation anti-androgen and is classed as a hormonal cancer medicine. Prostate cancer cells are usually fueled by male hormones (androgens) such as testosterone. Bicalutamide blocks the androgen receptors on those cells, so testosterone cannot attach and drive the cancer's growth.

In the United States, bicalutamide 50 mg once daily is FDA-approved for use in combination therapy with a luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LHRH) analog, such as leuprolide or goserelin, for the treatment of Stage D2 metastatic carcinoma of the prostate. That combination is the only FDA-approved use. The label also states that bicalutamide 150 mg daily is not approved for use alone or with other treatments. It is important to understand what the medicine does and does not do: bicalutamide can slow the growth and spread of prostate cancer, but it does not cure it. It has no indication for women, must not be used by anyone who is or may become pregnant because it can harm a developing baby, and it is not approved for use in children.

What bicalutamide costs without insurance, and how to pay less

Cash prices for bicalutamide are set by each pharmacy, not by the manufacturer, and they can vary widely. The same 30-day supply of 50 mg tablets can be priced very differently at a big chain, a grocery store pharmacy, and an independent down the block, and the price can also change with quantity. There is no manufacturer savings card for generic bicalutamide. That is why comparing before you fill is the single biggest thing you can do to lower the bill.

• Enter your ZIP above to see today's price at pharmacies near you and print, text, or show the free Rx.com coupon.
• Ask the prescriber whether the generic, bicalutamide, is appropriate rather than the brand Casodex, then compare prices for both.
• Ask whether a 90-day supply makes sense, since larger quantities sometimes cost less per tablet.
• A discount coupon is not insurance and cannot be combined with it, but you can compare the coupon price to your insurance copay and use whichever is lower.

Bicalutamide compared to other prostate cancer hormone medicines

Bicalutamide is approved as part of a combination, not as a solo treatment. It is paired with an LHRH analog such as leuprolide (Lupron Depot) or goserelin. The LHRH shot lowers how much testosterone the body makes, and bicalutamide blocks the testosterone that is still there from reaching the cancer cells. Casodex is the brand name for the same medicine, and FDA-approved generic bicalutamide 50 mg tablets are available and substitutable for it.

Newer androgen receptor medicines such as enzalutamide, and androgen-synthesis blockers such as abiraterone, are used in different situations and are not interchangeable with bicalutamide. Flutamide and nilutamide are older antiandrogens in the same first-generation class, with their own separate approved uses, and they are prescribed far less often today. Which medicine is right for you depends on the stage of the cancer, prior treatment, and other health conditions. This is a decision for your oncologist or urologist, not something to change on your own.

Safety, side effects, and monitoring

Bicalutamide does not carry an FDA boxed warning, but it does have important warnings. Rare but serious liver injury, including fatal liver failure, has been reported. Your doctor should check liver enzymes (serum transaminases) before you start, at regular intervals during the first four months, and periodically after that; treatment is stopped if ALT rises above twice the upper limit of normal or if jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes) develops. Tell your doctor right away about dark urine, unusual tiredness, right-sided belly pain, or yellowing of the skin or eyes.

Breast enlargement (gynecomastia) and breast pain are common. In the trials of the approved regimen, bicalutamide 50 mg with an LHRH analog, gynecomastia was reported in about 9 percent of men and breast pain in about 6 percent. (Much higher rates were seen with the 150 mg single-agent dose, which is not FDA-approved in the U.S.) Other common effects include hot flashes, lower libido or erectile problems, nausea, diarrhea or constipation, and weakness. Reduced glucose tolerance, new diabetes, or worse blood sugar control has been seen in men on androgen-deprivation therapy, so blood sugar may be monitored. Cases of interstitial lung disease, some of them fatal, including interstitial pneumonitis and pulmonary fibrosis, have been reported; report new shortness of breath or a persistent cough to your doctor. Bicalutamide increases the effect of coumarin blood thinners such as warfarin, so PT/INR needs close monitoring and the dose may need to be adjusted, and it can raise levels of some medicines processed by CYP3A4. Bicalutamide is contraindicated in people who are hypersensitive to it and in women, including anyone who is or may become pregnant, and it is not approved for use in children. This page is general information, not medical advice. Talk with your doctor or pharmacist about your full medicine list and any side effects you notice.