Pericarditis: cross-border specialty drug access for international patients

Quick orientation

Acute pericarditis accounts for approximately 0.1 percent of hospital admissions and 5 percent of emergency department chest pain visits. Recurrent pericarditis affects a minority of patients with index pericarditis.

Typical age of onset. Any age. Recurrent pericarditis often follows an initial episode.

Severity tiers. Severity ranges from self-limited acute pericarditis to chronic recurrent disease with substantial morbidity.

Why specialty drugs for Pericarditis are hard to access internationally

Arcalyst (rilonacept) is the first FDA-approved therapy specifically for recurrent pericarditis. International registration is in early stages outside the US.

Treatments approved by the FDA

• Arcalyst (rilonacept) — FDA approval: 2008 (pericarditis indication 2021). Mechanism: Interleukin-1 alpha and beta blocker for recurrent pericarditis. Route: Subcutaneous injection weekly. US WAC ballpark: Approximately USD 250,000 per year.

Cross-border pathways used for Pericarditis

Most patients use one or more of the following regulatory pathways, depending on the destination country and the specific drug:

• Named Patient Program (NPP)
• Personal Import Scheme
• Cross-border Prescription

What your physician needs to know

• Confirm recurrent pericarditis diagnosis using established criteria.
• Document failure of NSAIDs and colchicine where applicable.
• Cardiology and sometimes rheumatology co-management.
• Screen for infections before initiating IL-1 blockade.
• Update vaccinations where time allows.

Common questions

Is Arcalyst available in my country?

Registration outside the US is in early stages.

How long is treatment?

Treatment duration is individualized; some patients tolerate dose reduction over time.

Are there alternatives?

Standard care includes NSAIDs and colchicine. Specialty therapy is reserved for refractory or steroid-dependent cases.

How long does shipment take?

Five to ten business days from prescription receipt.

What documents are required?

Cardiologist's prescription, recurrence documentation, and clinical summary.

Where Reserve Meds fits in

Reserve Meds is a cross-border specialty drug access platform. We support international patients whose prescribed FDA-approved medicine is not registered locally, is not reimbursed by their payer, or is otherwise unavailable through standard channels. For Pericarditis, our role is to coordinate the regulatory pathway, source the medicine from a DSCSA-compliant US wholesaler, and arrange validated cold-chain or controlled-temperature shipment to the destination country.

We do not replace your treating physician. We do not bill insurance. We operate a cash-pay model, and we work alongside the clinical team that knows your case. Every prescription is reviewed by a US-licensed pharmacist before dispense, and a US-licensed physician reviews the supply request before shipment.

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