Starting Sovaldi - Prior relapser

[48weeks]

Just got a call from my hepatologist's office to start the process of getting me started on Sovaldi.  I am a gt 1a, twice non-responder to Int+Rib and I relapsed after 48 weeks of triple therapy with Incivek. Anyone know what the cure rate for this treatment is for a relapser?

[48weeks]

Just found out my IL28B results came back with TT phenotype. Inspite of that, I did seem to respond to triple therapy with Incivek I was undetected right up to a month after my EOT, then at 6 month svr appt I relapsed. So what's to blame the Telaprevir or the Interferon, who knows. Not sure if my Hepatologist is offering the Sovaldi now because it's available and he thinks my insurance will cover itand maybe he's leary of how things will go with Obamacare messing with so many insurance policies.  I will be getting a liver biopsy in the first week of January. I have not had one in over 8 years. I will talk to my hepotologist after that and hopefully I will be in a position to wait things out for a while. Hopefully Obamacare doesn't screw us all, I don't mean to be political.

[hepcat1954]

1) IL28B is an indicator of how one might respond to Interferon.  There's no known correlation between IL28B and response to Direct Acting Antivirals (DAA's).

2) Sofosbuvir (Sovaldi) is a RNA polymerase inhibitor, not a protease inhibitor, so your resistance to protease inhibitors (which you undoubtedly have) on this drug is a non-issue.

3) Sofosbuvir, with NS5A inhibitors (Daclatasvir or Ledipasvir - both nucleotide analogue inhibitors), has shown SVR rates of up to 100% in people infected with HCV.  

4) If your insurance company does pay for off-label, the fastest, for-sure way to cure your HCV is to take (off-label) Sofosbuvir with either Dataclatasvir or Ledispasvir, whichever gets approved first.

I'm 1a and also failed triple (first tx attempt) in November of 2011 (Incivek/Riba/Interferon) after 12 painful weeks.  However, in 2013 I got on a 12 week Gilead all-oral Sofosbuvir + Ledipasvir study and was UND in 14 days and I achieved SVR24 in July 2013.  Unlike triple, it was quick, effective, so easy and no sides!  In my case I took one pill/day but if you're doing it off-label, you'd be taking 2 pills/day.

Good luck to you!

HC

[Groovy777]

Gild is off 5%...?..That's it, Haven't you heard sell the News?
Everyone new it was going to get approved..That was the run up..
Gild is a Buy and Sovaldi with 5816 is a Cure
Copy

[copyman]

Get a 2nd opinion from Dr Reddy at Univ of Penn.

Problem with new drug Sovaldi is that insurance companies aren't going to pay the $84,000 for 12 week treatment. Gilead will have to lower price or their drug will never take off. There is talk of patent infringement and other things going on behind the scenes. No one knows what is going to happen with court battles, etc.

Insiders must know something because Gilead Sciences stock is sinking fast.

Best of luck

[can-do-man]

One thing I am curious about is when approval was sought it stated quite clearly for genotype 1 that was treatment naïve and as far as I know that has not changed so wouldn't that be considered going off label if one has treated prior?

[Upbeat]

Talked to my doctor today and was told its going to be awhile before the ins and pricing is worked out.