vx-950

[suzieq2]

Hi everyone, I saw a great hep Dr. yesterday, He just completed clinical trial with peg, riba, & vx-950 12 pts, all cleared. 12 week program. I am first on the list for non responder trial. he said late fall, but they have been running a little behind. So most likely I will start in january after the holidays.YEH! He has several trials going on, but in his words ,you want to wait and go right to big one! I do not want to mess around . This is my last time around. The responce of this medication is having such great results. If I do not clear on this. I will put my disease totally in the Lords hands, and what will be will be. I hope to find all as well as can be.Great hope for nonresponders. Will keep you "all" posted

[jmjm530]

Sure. Just like the three derms before him, he changed my topical regimen around. This is not unusual for derms as no two ever seem to agree on ANYTHING including diagnosis. Let me know if you want to know skin regimen and I'll post.  He did suggest going on doxycycline or the newer low dose version called Oracea? I'm holding off antibiotics for now and waiting to see how the skin reacts to topicals and time. His major suggestion was for IPL (intense pulsed light) which is a sort of laser. He says I need six treatments which would cost me around $3,000 with touch ups a couple of times a year costing around $500 each. That includes face but not my neck which would be extra. Yikes. At this point it's not even the money but I really have to research this more and make sure that's the right direction for now. Hope you feel better soon.

-- Jim

[bobbyullc]

DO get the bx. you will die of worry if you do not.
are you stage 3 now?
i am sorry i missed the post but did you not svr on the first try?

on vx950, what i read is 95% cleared at 1 or 2 weeks and all cleared at 12. much better than peg. there are also many other breakthrough drugs in trials. hope is out there.
bobby

[jmjm530]

You are correct. The viral clearance in the Vertex trial was SIGNIFICANTLY better and fast than with the current combo drugs. How this will translate into SVR data is what we are all waiting for.

-- Jim

[NYgirl]

GOD you are right what about my thyroid meds, eeeek. You know what hell I've gone through with this job...my GOD I want to leave and get something else.....

I hate them here with such a passion these disgusting perverted pigs I just can't tell you.

$600 to Dr. J is to get him to approve the 72 weeks....my doctor can't (won't) take responsibility as he said he is a GI and he can't ( I guess I could sue him if something seriously goes wrong) without a second opinion.  That's all. So basically it IS going for me to just ask a few questions and then leave and never see him again.

If I do quit on 8/18 like I was supposed to originally...maybe it will be long enough. But I'll have to do something about the thyroid and my KIDS insurance oh man.

WHY is this happening? All of the Paxill in the world can't help me now.

[NYgirl]

Said:  When it comes out, yrs from now, it will be accompanied by the same drugs people are trying to avoid.


Bingo...that is why I don't let any of this drive me nuts.  Yes it appears to give better odds to clear quicker but...there already is a 50% chance for a geno 1 to clear with the current meds.

I worry that people who could treat now and clear think...wow I'll just wait for these new easier and quicker drugs when in reality they could be risking more liver damage and a much harder chance at SVR years from now when / IF it does come out for general use in tx.

I personally consider a 50/50 chance of beating this now with the current drugs and duration a pretty good chance (even if in some cases we have to extend).

[jmjm530]

I agree that most side effects occur within the first six months but at least with me -- and many others I see posting -- it is the accumulation of these sides *over time* that is the killer. Vertex combined with riba and peg potentially could shorten treatment to 12 weeks with better SVR rates. To me, there is a SIGNIFICANT difference between treating 12 versus 48 or more weeks, even with the same drugs. Significant maybe not in terms of the number of sides but the severity of the sides and what I would imagine to be the probablity of those sides becoming chronic or even permanent. It should also be noted that Vertex is either currently -- or very shortly -- being trialed WITHOUT ribavirin in Europe. Should those results come in positive, look for riba to be dropped faster than a hot potatoe in follow-up American trials.

-- Jim