When will telapravir be avaliable

I failed my first treatment with a replase after being undetectable for 36 week(less the 5IU). My Doctor thought I shlould try again but I would rather wait for the telapravir treatment that would really increase my chances for SVR.
Does anyone have a reasonable idea when this drug will be available and covered by insuranace like Aetna?

The treatment that failed seemed to reverse some of my liver damage. My platlet count increase from 145 to 210
even thought the virus came back. Has anyone seen this? It would mean that the classic  treatement even in failure would buy time for you to wait for more effective treatements.

[jt57]

I have read, and been told by my Dr., May of this year.

Jean

[HectorSF]

Yes, here at UCSF's gastroenterology department and liver transplant program in San Francisco, they told me today May-June.

Hectorsf

[BeatTheBeast]

Hector,
.
Do you have an HCV specialist that you highly recommend?  If so, I'd like to know the name.  Thanks.

BTB

[HectorSF]

Highly recommend? Absolutely.

Norah Terrault MD MPH. She is an internationally known leader in the fields of hepatitis c &b and liver disease. She teaches other gastroenterologists and hepatologist about the latest developments in the fields of HCV &HBV, liver disease and liver transplantation for patients with hepatitis.

I would say she is very well known in the Bay Area so if you have a gastro I'm sure he/she probably knows of her. As I said she is on the cutting edge of hepatitis diagnoses, treatment, and pre and post hep treatment for liver transplant patients.

She has many papers about hepatitis on the Internet and some videos of her speeches to other medical professionals also. I believe you will need a referral from your local gastro to get an appointment at UCSF. Hopefully she has an opening. As she is in high demand.

Beside being a leader in the field she is one of the warmest, compassionate persons you will ever meet. I don't believe you could do much better. I have had an have many doctors in all fields of medicine. On a scale of 1 - 10, I would say Dr. Terrault deserves a 15.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Norah A. Terrault, M.D. M.P.H.
http://transplant.surgery.ucsf.edu/faculty/hepatology/norah-a-terrault,-md,-mph.aspx
Professor of Clinic Medicine
Director of Viral Hepatitis Research in Liver Transplantation

UCSF GI Faculty Practice
350 Parnassus Ave., Suite 410
San Francisco 94143

"Research Interests:

My research focuses on the natural history and treatment of hepatitis C virus (HCV) and hepatitis B virus (HBV), particularly in special populations, including those undergoing liver transplantation. Work in progress addresses the natural history of post-transplant disease and specific therapies to prevent infection or modify HCV and HBV disease progression and loss of grafts from recurrent disease. Our virological analyses are focused on characterization of viral mutations that occur in liver transplant recipients receiving antiviral therapies and assessment of the effect of these variant viruses on the natural history and severity of disease post-transplantation. Knowledge of these factors may allow improved organ allocation by identifying subsets of patients with HCV recurrence in liver grafts who would be favorable or unfavorable candidates for retransplantation."

AASLD eNews: January 27, 2011
"AASLD Welcomes Jensen, Szabo, and Terrault to Governing Board"
Norah Terrault, MD, MPH, University of California, San Francisco, was elected as Councilor-at-Large by the membership for a three-year term beginning January 1, 2011 and ending December 31, 2013.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This link is to Dr. Terrault's UCTV video talks
http://www.uctv.tv/search-moreresults.aspx?contactID=101994

* Treatment of Hep C Pre and Post Transplant and the Obese Patient with End-stage Liver Disease
* Update in Treatments for HCV and Surgical Treatment for Non-HCC
* Management of Hepatitis C in the Pre-Transplant Patient
* Kidney Transplant Update - Hepatitis C and Steroid Sparing

Let me know if you have and questions or issues. As I have been going to UCSF and seeing Dr. Terrault for for almost 3 year now years. UCSF is like a second home to me at this point and I am usually there at least once a week.

Hectorsf