Sign petition to put pressure on!

[mdudley]

A petition was begun to encourage Gilead to do the right thing.  Please sign it:
http://www.change.org/petitions/gilead-sciences-a-phase-iii-collaboration-for-the-treatment-of-hepatitis-c

I have emailed this link to all my family and friends and posted it on FB.  Lets make ourselves heard!  Who knows...this might be the spark needed to start the fire!

[BoceprevirGal]

This is good, I will sign. We should also organize some big marches. People have to stop being silent about this, and we need to remove the stigma.
   Lots of the big rock stars have Hep C, they should do some benefit concerts, where awareness is raised~
  I remember, 12 yrs ago, right after my son was born, I sat on a float, in the Pride Parade, in S.F., holding a big Hep C Banner.

[mdudley]

Thank you!  Let's get the word out....100,000 signatures will possibly attract some attention to this.  I wonder what  kind of attention 4 million signatures (the number of US citizens alone with HCV) would create! Hold that banner high!

[rivll]

Thanks for getting that started. I will sign it and pass it on to friends and family as well.

[orphanedhawk]

Yes, email it, facebook it, tweet it, post it on other forums, spread the word.

[mdudley]

Lets get this party started!  :)

[James10500]

Looks like GS-7977 is going to hit the market one way or another regardless of Daclastavir. There is no way they pay 11 billion for Pharmasett and sit on their most promising drug.  


http://hcvadvocate.blogspot.ca/2012/04/gileads-hepatitis-c-drug-poised-to.html

[orphanedhawk]

I do not find this blog convincing. It is merely speculation.

[katla]

The link to the article on the petition page is broken.

[orphanedhawk]

It worked for me but took a bit longer than expected to come up.
Try it again :)

[mdudley]

Try this one...it has a # sign at the end...not sure if that has anything to do with it.  Or you can just go to change.org and 'browse' the petitions and find the one pertaining to Gilead.  This may be our only chance to be heard...so please keep trying.  I was reading some of the names of people I know who signed who didn't know I had HCV until yesterday...it brought tears to my eyes.  I was reluctant to share with just anyone and everyone that I have HCV...but now I want the world to know it!!!  And I want them to know about the new treatment that could save millions of lives including my own!  Hope this link works for you!  Heppers unite!

https://www.change.org/petitions/gilead-sciences-a-phase-iii-collaboration-for-the-treatment-of-hepatitis-c#

[katla]

Maybe I wasn't clear. The link to the petition page worked fine. On the petition you have a link to the article  "Quoting from The Street (http://alturl.com/rnh8p)..." and that link doesn't work; I tried it on two separate browsers. I have the article but just thought it best if you fixed the link.

[mdudley]

Sorry...I was afraid that you meant it wouldn't let you sign the petition.  I have no control over the site as I did not create it (but I would have if I had known how..lol).  This is slow going, however, because the last time I looked only 52 people had signed thus far.  But I am going to continue to put the word out in anyway I can... if anyone has any ideas I am all ears :)  Best to you all!

[orphanedhawk]

I've had a few people tell me they don't want to share their information although they support the petition's goal.

[libzo2]

Done!

[mdudley]

That is great!  Spread the word!  We need some momentum!!!  There are over 170 million of us worldwide and from what I have read, it only takes 100,000 petition signatures to bring attention to this terrible turn of events!

https://www.change.org/petitions/gilead-sciences-a-phase-iii-collaboration-for-the-treatment-of-hepatitis-c#

[katla]

Well since you asked for ideas, I think it's crucial that if you're asking people to sign a petition that's based an article that people be able to access the article. Most  people like to know what they're signing  before they sign so I think this is a major problem.

Where did this petition come from? Is there anyway to contact Michael Labhard who created this and have him fix it? If the link worked I'd be happy to post it to all the HCV forums I know of.

I think this petition is important and if you want people to take it seriously it should be done properly. Well, just my two cents...I don't mean any disrespect.

[mdudley]

I found this link by reading a post by 'sheepdog' under another post about Gilead/BMS.  I will look back and find exactly where it was.  I did copy and past the article below from the site.  But I see what you mean about the alturl link..  Unfortunately, I am pretty illiterate when it comes to computers...a struggle for me just to manuever around on this site...lol!  Any 'techies' reading this...hhhelppp!!!  I appreciate your input, Katla...and I see your point completely!  Can anyone shed any light on this?

Following copied and pasted from change.org site:

Why This Is Important
Quoting from The Street (http://alturl.com/rnh8p) "The most effective new therapy for hepatitis C -- two pills that could cure nearly every patient treated -- may never see the light of day because the developers of these new medicines, Bristol-Myers Squibb and Gilead Sciences, seem unable to work together. Apparently, profits are more important than best patient care. Best therapy combines Bristol's daclatasvir with Gilead's GS-7977. Each is a single pill administered once a day. The results from this new therapy are nothing short of spectacular -- an early cure rate of 100% for genotype 1 patients and 91% of genotype 2/3 patients, according to data from a mid-stage study announced Thursday at the European Association for the Study of Liver Disease (EASL) meeting. Amazingly, this most promising new treatment for hepatitis C patients may actually be discontinued because Bristol and Gilead can't work together. Gilead needs to justify that $11 billion and deliver profits and returns to its shareholders. Collaborating with Bristol would more than likely dilute Gilead's Hep C profits, which helps explain why Gilead isn't exactly thrilled to push ahead. Hep C patients in need of convenient and potent new cures are being hurt." Please sign this petition to urge Gilead to work with Bristol-Myers Squibb on this drug combination for the benefit of those suffering with hepatitis C.

[orphanedhawk]

It's awkwardly put together. It does not clearly state, what they are petitioning for although the sentence below I explains it.
I think anyone can put together a petition, and though they may have the best intentions, they seemed to have missed a crucial step.
The only thing I can think of is to get a hold of whoever wrote it.

" Please sign this petition to urge Gilead to work with Bristol-Myers Squibb on this drug combination for the benefit of those suffering with hepatitis C."

Not quite a petition is it ?

Perhaps there'd be more signers if people could see in simple clear words, what the petition states.

[mdudley]

I went to the site through a link posted by 'sheepdoggie'  on 04/23/12 in a reply to UKgirl55 posted on 04/19/2012 titled "How do we put pressure on Gilead/Bristol".  I see that he/she just joined the forum and has no prior posts or other info on profile page.  I was excited by what I saw as an opportunity to finally do something that I thought might be helpful for us all.  I have pasted below the posting by 'sheepdoggie'...and thats how this all began.  I don't know what else to say about it, but I will try and contact someone at the site tomorrow (if that is possible) and let you all know if I find out anything.

Reported Report SpamAbuseDuplicatesheepdoggie  
Apr 23, 2012 .To: All.A petition was begun to encourage Gilead to do the right thing.  Please sign it:
http://www.change.org/petitions/gilead-sciences-a-phase-iii-collaboration-for-the-treatment-of-hepatitis-c

.

[FaithforHealing]

Adam Feuerstein is The Street Senior Columnist who wrote the article. The petition was based on his report. There is a link at the site to contact/email him if anyone has questions. Whether or not he will answer, IDK.

http://www.thestreet.com/author/1352996/AdamFeuerstein/all.html

Gilead, Bristol Put Profits Ahead of Best Care for Hep C Patients
By Adam Feuerstein
An exciting new hepatitis C treatment may never reach patients because Bristol-Myers Squibb and Gilead Sciences can't work together.
Related Topics: Biotech | Drugs | Health Care
11:13AM 04/19/12

[FaithforHealing]

If Adam Feuerstein has his facts straight and knows what he is talking about, it's a sad story. Bristol holds one half of the winning combination to cure HCv and Gilead holds the other half. Bristol claims Gilead refuses to work together; the author says it's because it would dilute Gilead's profits which they cannot afford to do since Gilead just paid Pharmasset $11 Billion to gain control of GS-7977 and Gilead needs to justify that $11 billion and deliver profits and returns to its shareholders. Gilead denies that is the reason they won't collaborate with Bristol. According to the story, rather than work with Bristol's product Gilead is choosing to go it alone and come up with their own drug that will be as effective as Bristol's....but, it's going to take a long time.
Sounds like another American greed story? Maybe the original author could write something to post on Medhelp and explain in more detail? I'm going to send him an email and see what happens.

[FaithforHealing]

For what it's worth, some other petitions at change.org regarding HCV that someone may want to sign. Some only have three or even one signer.

http://www.change.org/petitions#search/hepatitis%20c

1. NBC and CBS - Stop allowing jokes about people with Hepatitis C
2. Edward Cox, Director of FDA antimicrobial products: Hepatitis C, look again at the drug companies research and other treatments
3. Gilead Sciences: A phase III collaboration for the treatment of hepatitis C.
4. Show Business in General: Stop using the Hepatitis C virus as a punch line
  

[mythoughts]

Will the person who started the petition make sure that the signed version gets forwarded to the correct party at Gilead?

You don't have to share your information. Tell the people who are afraid to sign it that they ca really put down any address, and check the box that says that they want to sign it anonymously. Grow some balls, folks!

[SusieS2010]

It is my understanding that Gilead is looking at a number of other drugs to pair with 7977, not just their own drug. Wouldn't they be foolish to jeopardize 7977's record and not pair it with the drug that works best? I'm not sure a march or a petition is the best way to go abut making our feelings clear. I'm sorry to say that hepatitis C patients haven't been particularly proactive in the past. Maybe it is because we are all so darn tired. And, I'm not sure that one article accusing Gilead putting profit above patients is not just one person's thoughts. I think we need more information. Perhaps sending a letter to the person at Gilead who is in charge of patient advocacy and/or patient relations, make be better. A couple of dozen letters on oneperson's desk makes a bigger impact than a petition. But you must make sure you have the facts straight.