No surprise here.

[can-do-man]

(Reuters) - An attempt by Merck & Co to shorten hepatitis C treatment to just four weeks by adding Gilead Sciences Inc's huge selling Sovaldi to its own oral two-drug combination came nowhere near the desired efficacy due to a high rate of relapses, according to interim data from a midstage study.

http://news.yahoo.com/merck-four-week-hep-c-regimen-gileads-sovaldi-001648224--finance.html

[patra_]

Back to the original discussion: When I treated in 94/95 on just the Interferon, injections 3 x week, in the beginning the protocol was 24 weeks.  In 95, toward end of treatment, Dr extended me by 3 (or was it 4?). weeks as the literature was already showing patients had a better recovery % on the longer tx.  Then, from what many of you all went through, tx went to 48 weeks w/ Riba and, even 72 weeks.  

NOW they are thinking they can have success with 4 weeks (or even a one injection or one pill tx)?  Scarey.  I am just praying the 24 week tx I am on works - never mind about 4 weeks!  This is a very difficlt virus to erradicate - and do so permanently.  

I say, FIRST, get to 100% SVR - THEN worry about shortening time of tx.

Just my humble opinion.    Pat

[Dee1956]

I am very sorry, I misunderstood ChrisDDD

Chris has been a round for a long time and when I saw I cleared.  I assumed which one should never do.  I apologize for my recent errors.

Thank you for the corrections

[pennylanem]

Oh no worries, I got what you meant. In my specific case, I just am anxious since though  Harvoni has been tested and shows good results for most people with just 12 weeks, I'm in that dreaded gray area where 24 weeks could help. I'm never giving up though, I'm still relatively young and have tolerated treatments extremely well so I'm not in such a dire situation *yet*.

[can-do-man]

Yes Pooh is right. ChrisDDD  was UND at EOT.

http://www.medhelp.org/posts/Hepatitis-C/D-8-octor-refusing-to-extend-treatment/show/2312536#post_11161136

[pooh55811]

Dee and everyone:

Just to set the record straight, ChrissDDD is NOT SVR. ChrisDDD is UND at end of treatment. He just finished treatment.

Hopefully he will attain SVR but he is not SVR yet.

[Ekkiemom]

Hi Dee....I think I have ur foot and my own in my mouth, have you seen my grey matter around?!  hahahaha take care
Deb

[Ekkiemom]

Sorry my brain is out on vacation disregard this post...ughhhhhhh

[Dee1956]

Hi just in case you did not see this ,this was a wonderful story of someone with cirrhosis who did 12 weeks and is now SVR.

http://www.medhelp.org/posts/Hepatitis-C/I-cleared--I-cleared/show/2340926

[Ekkiemom]

Is Merck ready to bet on the lives of the HVC infected population on a four week protocol !? is there possibility that they aren't revealing facts not published yet. Seems short but Tx times are shorter than the old protocols. Maybe we are panicking, I don't know. I haven't read any miracle data. Has anyone else. It's kind of scary
Deb

[Dee1956]

Hi so sorry I think 12 weeks IS working, if you look at others on here it is working  ChrisDDD's had that fear as well.  He just wrote that he is now SVR.
So sorry I was just commenting on the 4 weeks, did not mean anything by it.

And I meant to write resistance above, not mutations.

I have  heart on sleeve foot in mouth disease

[pennylanem]

Dee, this is what has me really anxious. I'm not cirrhotic but I'm am at a 3 so I'm pretty close.My doctor tried to get me approved for 24 weeks of Harvoni with no luck since technically I'm not cirrhotic and have no other risk factors other than miserably failing 3 times prior treatments.
I'm really hoping 12 weeks is enough for me.

[Dee1956]

Up until a few years ago 48 weeks was the only option, then it was changed to 24.  I think someone is getting greedy putting people on less than that.  Geno 1 has been so hard to treat this is ludicrous.  I wonder if they are creating mutations with these short tx's.  No skin off their nose, they still get their money.
Thank you for sharing.  I hope people do not think the virus is any easier to kill now than it was then.

(Excerpt of article)
"The hepatitis C field has been moving at a lightning pace. Only a handful of years ago, patients needed 48 weeks of treatment with drugs that had harsh side effects and only cured about 40 percent of patients"

[Dee1956]

OMG!  Where did they even think 4 weeks would be long enough?  I think this is awful to do to people.
Thank you for sharing this.
Dee