INFERGEN ?

I FEEL LIKE I JUST CRAWLED OUT FROM UNDER A ROCK. I WAS TREATED WITH PEGINTRON AND RIBOVIRON FROM 2-02 TO 10-03.
I MOVED TO TEXAS FROM NEVADA 1 YEAR AGO. I SAW MY GI BEFORE I LEFT. I
I WAS UNDER THE IMPRESSION THERE WAS NO OTHER TREATMENT AVAILABLE TO ME. SO HERE IS MY QUESTION. I JUST REALIZED INFERGEN IS DIFFERENT FROM PEGINTRON AND PEGASYS.
WHAT IS INFERGEN, HOW IS IT DIFFERENT FROM PEGINTRON AND WHAT IS THE SUCCESS RATE FOR TREATING SOMEONE WITH GENOTYPE 1A THAT WAS A NON RESPONDER TO PREVIOUS PEGINTRON/RIBO TREATMENT

[jmjm530]

Welcome from under the rock! But since you've been out of the loop per say, in the last few years there have been some exciting advances in the form of PI's (protease inhibitors) which are showing great promise in trials. Depending on your stats, you might want to do some more research and either wait for these drugs or try and enter a trial like many here have. Infergen (consensus interferon) is a pretty harsh treatment and I wouldn't jump into it without exploring all of your options in consultation with a good liver specialist (hepatologist). You say you were a "non-responder". There are a few definitions out there but in general it means someone who did not have a two-log drop by week 12. Do you remember what your viral load tests were? Or perhaps you had a two-log drop by week 12 but then relapsed? I ask because if you had the two log drop, then you'd probably be categorized as a "relapser" as opposed to a "non-responder". Which you are could make a difference in devising a future tx plan.

[vickielynn]

Thanx for the response. To answer your question I do remember what my viral loads were. I was up in the millions when I started tx and at one point I had it down to between 70 and one hundred for several months. Of course when I finally got off of it my viral counts shot right back where they were before tx.
I am just dumb founded because I thought that I had been pretty proactive in keeping myself up to date on the latest treatments and the possibilities on the horizon. I have heard of the protease inhibitors they are studying. I have actually applied to participate in the study of telepravir on people who failed prior treatment with interferon w/ ribo. Still have not heard anything.
Once again thank you for your response.

[jmjm530]

If you haven't already, you really should collect all your records related to your treatment.

That would include ALL blood tests from pre-treatment through end of treatment; as well as any diagnostic test reports prior from treatment including ultrasounds, and of course the liver biopsy report should you have taken one. You should also make notation of all the drugs you took during tx and the doses. If you don't remember, it should be part of your treatment record.

That way you will be in a much better position to have re-treatment intelligently re-evaluated both for yourself and for any liver specialists you might see in the future. All these medical records belong to you and you simply have to put in a request.

For example, "up in the millions" and between 70-100 for several months" is not specific enough to draw any conclusions of.

All the best,

-- Jim

[Magnum]

Infergen is powerful. Please read my archives on this subject. It was the ONLY drug that was working for me on my 4th try as a non-responder 1a. However, be very very careful to stick to the standard dose, not double or extra dose. I was on a double dose and it nearly killed me!

Good luck,

Magnum  

[fretboard]

I came across this article and I still don't know if they're talking about infergen/daily maintenance or interferon.  When I read it I thought that they must be talking about infergen b/c I heard that it wasn't working as expected, now I'm not sure.  The link is at the bottom so you can read the whole article.  Anyone??

"Currently, we use interferon only to clear the virus," said Dr. Lee. "If you cannot clear the virus with treatment, the idea that struggling long term through the side effects of interferon is somehow going to help you rid yourself of cirrhosis is just not plausible any longer."
Some patients cannot tolerate the side effects of the different types of interferon medication, which can cause extreme flu-like symptoms, such as fever, chills, fatigue, depression, muscle aches, chest pain, difficulty breathing, nausea, vomiting, and weight and hair loss.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/12/081204133645.htm