VA finds FLUVASTATIN effective for HCV, anyone looked into this ?

[oscarguy]

The VA [ Veterans Administration ] has looked into using fluvastatin as a treatment for HSV with some impressive results. One patient had a 1/50th load count after 4 weeks of treatment. Some others showed dramatic reductions in load counts also. Has anyone out there tried this treatment ? It does have FDA approval as a treatment for high blood pressure. VA looking for effective treatment for drug resistant HCV infections.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18410471

[oscarguy]

ALL the prescribed treatments have significant negative side effects. There is a 40% improvement with peginterferon with ribavarin and with teleprivir added the results are 61%. 6 months is the time period used to establish success rates in this report and additional side effects are reported. My point being that NONE of these treatments are without considerable risks. So why should fluvastatin be written off because it has some risks ? Here is a link to that report. Actually the numbers are over the map on this one along with others. This report claims a 52% CURE rate, sort of after one year:   http://www.xconomy.com/boston/2009/04/25/vertexs-telaprevir-passes-test-in-tough-to-treat-hepatitis-c-patients/
for patients treated with all 3 drugs.

[oscarguy]

Yes it is cholesterol it effects. But high BP is the big concern with high cholesterol, but you are right about that. It, fluvastatin seems to work well for some people with HCV. I appreciate your accurate feedback.   ...Oscar

[copyman]

there have been numerous studies on statins helping when added to treatment drugs. There were a few like FLUVASTATIN that worked better.

I believe FLUVASTATIN is prescribed for cholesterol not BP?

I did a lot of research and considered adding it to my treatment when I treated several years ago. I ended up doing a telaprevir trial or I might have added a statin to my treatment.

Keep in mind the down fall to statins is they are very hard on the liver.