Victrelis

[cbw36]

Just started on Vic on Friday. Besides the amount of pills one mush take, I can't seem to get over the nasty after taste. Really chemical like/poison like aftertaste. oh well, poison to the virus I hope. So my question is this: it says take with food, but is it necessary to take with 20g of fat, or is that only for incivek?
Anyone else starting this stuff?

[spectda]

Maybe you could have your doc order the quantisure or heptimax and the <43, If insurance won't pay for both the <43 it's probably cheap enough to pay for on your own. Bali the PCR/TMA man told me that the heptimax result comes quickly if you order the TMA portion only or side by side with the <43. I thought I read that the TMA sometimes produces false positives is that true?
-Dave

[cbw36]

That's awesome, thanks for the info. I got to tell you though, I am like THE unluckiest person in the whole world.  I was totally surprised that I had as good a drop in VL as I did after lead in.  It will be the greatest news if I were to be UND at week 4 of vic , or even better week 2.
Honestly, it would be better than winning the lottery, as after being diagnosed with this dz, money means very little compared to having my health back.  How sweet it would be.  I'll keep popping those pills.  Eat em and smile.

[spectda]

"I too was wishing for rvr, but at least I know the interferon has some response,"

"RVR is defined as undetectable virus (HCV RNA) in plasma at 4 weeks after the addition of boceprevir" (end of treatment week 8)

You still have 4 more weeks to determine RGT. Just to "sorta" compare apples to apples, the week 8 PCR/TMA result is comparable to the week 4 result with Incivek. If you are und at week 8 (4 weeks of vic) and week 24 the recommendation is to treat for a total of 28 weeks.

http://www.merck.com/product/usa/pi_circulars/v/victrelis/victrelis_pi.pdf
rgt page 4


http://www.drugs.com/clinical_trials/final-results-boceprevir-phase-ii-hcv-sprint-1-study-showed-significantly-higher-svr-rates-compared-7079.html

"Importantly, the likelihood (predictability) of attaining SVR was greater for patients who received the boceprevir P/R lead-in regimens compared to the no lead-in arms. Of patients in the boceprevir P/R lead-in arms who achieved a rapid virologic response (RVR), 94 percent in the 48-week regimen and 82 percent in the 28-week regimen achieved SVR. RVR is defined as undetectable virus (HCV RNA) in plasma at 4 weeks after the addition of boceprevir. In the lead-in arms, 64 percent of patients achieved RVR. Fewer patients in the lead-in arms discontinued treatment due to viral breakthrough."

[beeblessed]

" I would even give my left testicle if I though it would help. It seems to be the one I always sit on anyway. "  Hahahahahahaaaa!!!  Uhm....thanks for the visual. LOL!

As for the bad taste (I too will be on Vic in a few weeks), I read in another thread that SOUR hard candies help.  I will be running out to the store to stock up.  Best to you!

[cbw36]

i usually go to the local hospital, which has a blood draw center.  I just called today, and they say they do both labcorp and quest. And as per insurance, who don't cover quest, however, if ordering doctor is in network, than they will cover it.  Mine happens to be in network.  
so anyway check out the local hospital, it can't hurt.
sorry for the biopsy results, what were your results last time you checked? and how long ago was that?
and as for the almost 2 log drop..I too was wishing for rvr, but at least I know the interferon has some response, and I'm not just shooting duds under my skin for the last 4 weeks, as I had very little symptoms after injections.

[frijole]

"so doc decides to have me go check another pcr after 2 weeks on victrelis and then again on 4 weeks of victrelis.  he says reason is he wants to make sure there is no resistance issues developing.
also, offered me to take the heptimax test for greater sensitivity.
so what do you guys think?  sounds pretty kosher? "

Sounds like this doc has got your back.  I like the PCR after 2 weeks of Vic and I like the heptimax.    You had just short of a 2-log drop.  Of course, we would all like to be UND by week 4, but realistically this does not happen.  Week 12 is the do-or-die test.  

I screwed up last month and told my doctor I liked the LabCorp QuantaSure - a test sensitive  down to 2 IU/mL and that is what he ordered pre treatment.  Unfortunatley, I forgot it has a high detectable range of 2,000,000 IU/mL and I was over that.  Therefore, I don't have a good start VL.

We are currently trying to figure out what to do for the 4 week PCR (pre VIC). Apparantly some of the insurance companies are not approving the VIC without those 4-week results and the QuantaSure takes too long to get back.  I am going to tell him to order the test he usually would for week 4, but I sure want to more sensitive testing later.  He said I could do the quest heptimax, but I can't find a Quest lab in my town.

frijole