Thank-you.
I had a feeling that was going to be the answer and when you put it that way, it's hard to ignore.
Effects of Food on Oral Absorption
Fat increases the exposure to the drug - makes it more effective. Without adding the 20 g of fat to each dose does that mean the patient will not SVR? Don't know but there is a lot at stake, twelve weeks is a short period of time and every effort should be made to ensure you remain compliant so that you enhance the drug and give yourself every opportunity to cure the virus. The cure lasts a lifetime.
The systemic exposure (AUC) to telaprevir was increased by 237% when telaprevir was administered with a standard fat meal (containing 533 kcal and 21 g fat) compared to when telaprevir was administered under fasting conditions. In addition, the type of meal significantly affects exposure to telaprevir.
Relative to fasting, when telaprevir was administered with a low-fat meal (249 kcal, 3.6 g fat) and a high-fat meal (928 kcal, 56 g fat), the systemic exposure (AUC) to telaprevir was increased by approximately 117% and 330%, respectively. Doses of INCIVEK were administered within 30 minutes of completing a meal or snack containing approximately 20 grams of fat in the Phase 3 trials. Therefore, INCIVEK should always be taken with food (not low fat).