In 2019, Jeni Doerr finally received a diagnosis for her recent illnesses – pancolitis. Doerr, 35, from Newhall, CA, is featured in AAM’s recently released Generic Drug & Biosimilars Access & Savings in the U.S. report.
Here’s Jeni’s story, in her own words:
“I had been experiencing stomach issues since June 2017. Every time I went to the bathroom, I would lose blood and I couldn’t eat anything. I became anemic and after my symptoms got even worse I finally went to the ER where I received a colonoscopy and was diagnosed with pancolitis. I was then in and out of the hospital a few times trying different name brand biologic medications that didn’t work. I felt like I had lost everything I loved. I couldn’t hike, rock climb or even play with my dog, Sally.
Finally, after I was in the hospital for a full week, I was switched to a biosimilar and within two days I started to feel normal. I went from paying for a biologic that didn’t work well to not paying anything for a biosimilar that truly helped. My last treatment was in early 2020 and since then I have been able to hike, rock climb and take my dog out for walks. If I had known about biosimilars earlier, I would have never tried anything else. Biosimilars truly gave me my life back!”
