If you’re looking at treatment options for certain kinds of headaches, you may want to learn more about Emgality. It’s a prescription drug that comes as a liquid solution you give yourself as a subcutaneous injection (an injection under your skin). It’s available in a single-use prefilled syringe or pen.

Emgality contains the active ingredient galcanezumab. (The active ingredient is what makes a drug work.) It’s used in adults to:

Keep reading for details on Emgality and cost, and how to save money on prescriptions.

Note: For more details on Emgality, see this in-depth article.

The price you pay for Emgality can vary. Your cost may depend on your treatment plan, your insurance coverage (if you have it), and the pharmacy you use. To find out how much you’ll pay for this drug, talk with your doctor, pharmacist, or insurance provider.

Below are answers to some common questions about Emgality and cost.

What’s the cost of Emgality without insurance vs. the cost with insurance?

If you have insurance that covers Emgality, you’ll pay less for your treatment. Call your insurance provider to find out if Emgality is covered. Your insurance provider can also tell you how much of the drug cost they’ll cover.

Without insurance, you’ll pay more for Emgality. Ask your pharmacist how much your treatment will cost. They may be able to help you find financial support programs to help you pay for the drug. (Also, be sure to check out the “Can I get help paying for Emgality?” section below.)

How do the costs of Emgality and Aimovig compare?

Your doctor may prescribe Emgality or Aimovig to prevent migraine. Both are prescription drugs that come as a liquid solution you give yourself as a subcutaneous injection (an injection under your skin). And both drugs are injected once per month.

To compare the cost of using Emgality versus Aimovig for migraine prevention, talk with your doctor or pharmacist. You can also check each drug manufacturer’s website to see if financial support options are available.

Emgality is a biologic (a drug made in a laboratory using living cells). It’s available only as a brand-name medication.

Drugs made from chemicals can have generics, which are exact copies of the active drug in the brand-name medication. Biologics, on the other hand, can’t be copied exactly. So instead of a generic, biologics have biosimilars. These are “similar” to the parent drug and are considered just as safe and effective.

Like generics, biosimilars are often less expensive compared to brand-name drugs. But Emgality is not currently available in biosimilar form.

Why is there such a difference in the cost of brand-name drugs vs. generic drugs?

Years of research and testing are needed to ensure that brand-name drugs are safe and effective. This testing can make the drugs expensive. The manufacturer of a brand-name drug can sell the drug for up to 20 years. After that, other drug manufacturers can create generic versions. This competition in the market can lead to lower costs for generics. And because generics have the same ingredients as brand-name drugs, they don’t need to be studied again. This can also lead to lower generic costs.

If you need help covering the cost of Emgality 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 paying for Emgality, including the cost with Medicare or other insurance, talk with your doctor or pharmacist. You can also download a savings card from the manufacturer’s website that may help you pay for Emgality.

If you take Emgality long term, you may be able to lower your costs in the following ways:

  • Look into getting a 90-day supply of your medication. You may be able to get a 90-day supply of Emgality if approved by your insurance company. This could reduce your number of trips to the pharmacy and help lower the cost of Emgality. If you’re interested in getting a 90-day supply of this drug, talk with your doctor, pharmacist, or insurance provider.
  • Use a mail-order pharmacy to get your medication. Using a mail-order pharmacy might help lower your cost for Emgality. Some pharmacies have mail-order options. Talk with your pharmacist to see what options exist in your area. Plus, you could get your medication without leaving home. Some Medicare plans may help cover the cost of mail-order drugs. You may also be able to get a 90-day supply of the drug through mail order. If you don’t have health insurance, talk with your doctor or pharmacist. They may be able to suggest online pharmacy options that could work for you.

If you still have questions about the cost of Emgality, talk with your doctor or pharmacist. They may be able to give you a better idea of what you’ll pay for this drug. But if you have health insurance, you’ll need to talk with your insurance provider to learn the actual cost you’d pay.

Examples of questions you may want to ask your doctor or insurance provider include:

  • What financial support options does the manufacturer of Emgality provide?
  • Do Emgality prefilled syringes cost less than the prefilled pens?
  • Is there a lower cost brand-name drug or generic that I could use instead of Emgality?

If you use Emgality for migraine prevention, subscribe to Healthline’s newsletter for trusted remedies, expert advice, and more. You can also connect with others who have migraine through the Bezzy migraine community.

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.