need name of study

i'm going to ask my Dr. what he thinks of new study data that suggests extending tx to 72 weeks when detectable @ week 12. does anyone know the names of any of those studies? also any links would be apprieciated. thanks.

[antman]

NY girl- didn't you extend tx to 72 weeks? i seem to recall you being detectable at week 12 also. did your Dr. and insuance co. go along with that? thanks.

[Bill1954]

Hi there;

A couple of papers that address this concept include:

Gastroenterology. 2006 Apr;130(4):1086-97, Berg, T
http://tinyurl.com/34fn4p

and:

J.M. Sanchez-Tapias, 2004 EASL (Teravic4)
http://www.natap.org/2004/EASL/easl_06.htm

Take care,

Bill

[zazza]

Antman,
Send me an email to my screenname underscoreeuropeathotmaildotcom and I will send you the full text of the Berg study.

[nygirl7]

Ant,

I was positive at week 4 with a count of 411 and at week 12 with a count of 419.  At 24 finally I showed UND.

I decided to extend but unfortunately at that time nobody was doing such a thing and my insurance immediately said it was "experimental".  There might be more leeway now that it's becoming more common place as more doctors become aware of both the studies and how to use them together.

Comittment to Care paid for all of my meds 100% from week 48 - 72.  They gave me no problem and were very very nice and kind as well, like they WANTED to do it, not that it was a bother to them.  They made me feel good about it.

So far I'm 5 months post and UND at a 4 month test.  Have to wait a few more weeks for my six month test and so nervous I can't tell you.

Either way - I'm VERY glad I did it.  Personally it saved me from all the second guessing that would come with a relapse ("Oh! What would have happened if I DID the 72 I probably would have gotten SVR") and also it gave my liver an extended break and more time to heal.

IF I can help you in any way just let me know.

[PokerRon]

do these studies take into account

the higher dosed weight base

of Ribivirn and Pegintron 2b

im on the highest does of peg and 1600mg of Riba

im hoping i can off this stuff in 48 weeks
and of course i am hoping to be cured FOREVER

im a little concerned about taking this large of a dose
for anything more than 48 weeks consecutively..

could it, will it, do more harm than good?
That is the question.....

thanks
Ron

[nygirl7]

Basically these studies support the fact that being UND at 4 weeks is truly important but that if you aren't UND at week 12 but ARE Und at week 24 - doing 72 weeks gives you much better odds of not relapsing.

It doesn't have anything to do with riba amounts.

I took much too much riba (willingly) during my first months of tx.  It wasn't the riba that eventually hurt me permanently but the interferon did. That stuff can be a b*tch with the sides that do not return to normal.

I did treat for 72 and have never regretted. All my main problems were caused by week 30 - after that it was all pretty much downhill.

[friole]

I believe the Berg study was done with Ribavirin of 800 mg. Not sure a about the others.  At the time the studies were done, that was the norm.

[PokerRon]

i called the ready pen ALPHA 2 B, INTERERON hot line Today...

i asked them to verify my doctors game plan
(2 LOG DROP AT WEEK 12, and next test at WEEK 24)

The women i spoke with (nurse) said that  this is the standard game plan for pegintron 2b...

Again she told me, they would hope that i would be UD by the week 24 test,,
and then they recommonend TX for 48 weeks...

(although she has recently heard of doctors treating people longer, the
standard pegintron company rx is 48 weeks for geno 1 a.....

why is there so much conflicting info out there

i got this info from the people who make the drug......
so you would think they would know the length of TX....

BUT THEN AGAIN

This nurse didnt even know what UD means......sheesh

thanks for all your help
Ron