New, Simplified Treatment for ALL Hepatitis C Genotypes
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Two Companies Enter into Hepatitis C Drug Development Deal
By Catherine Kolonko
Achillion Pharmaceuticals has joined forces with Janssen Pharmaceuticals to develop a short-duration oral regimen to treat chronic hepatitis C, the companies announced.
Both companies have entered into an exclusive worldwide license and collaboration arrangement to develop and commercialize one or more of Achillion’s lead hepatitis C treatments (currently named ACH-3102, ACH-3422) and sovaprevir, according to a release from Janssen, which is owned by Johnson & Johnson. The aim of the partnership will be to develop a short-duration, highly effective, pan-genotypic, oral regimen for the treatment of the hepatitis C virus, states a Janssen release.
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http://www.hcplive.com/medical-news/Two-Companies-Enter-into-Hepatitis-C-Drug-Development-Deal
18 Comments
Too bad very few people ever know about or mention Benitec Biopharma. They are weeks away from dosing their next patient in their single-shot, ddrnai treatment for hepatitis C to potentially treat all Genos with no sides. Would love to see more people investigate their approach. But the truth is that even the best cures today are financially out of the reach of many. More players equals more price competition…which serves to benefit the customer.
Yes, let’s hope that the people suffering from Hep C can actually afford to get these upcoming drugs. For years we have been told to wait…now the drugs are here and unless your liver is already in bad shape, the province won’t cover the outrageous cost…so the waiting game continues.
I am from the US, and suffer from End Stage Liver Disease. This automatically qualified me for 24 weeks of Harvoni treatment under my Federal Medicare drug coverage, which to date has erraticated my HEP Can. This came at a staggering cost of $225,000.00 or about $1,150.00 per pill. My monthly share of cost would have been about $5,000.00 however this was picked up by a program called Helping Hand, for lower income individuals. They have to lower the cost of and qualifying criteria to these me miracle drugs. Compitition in the market would help and a higher production for more qualified patients should lower the cost per pill
Yes, I’m hoping the price will come down and come down a lot. At the current astronomical price I’ll never be cured and will have to continue to endure the symptoms brought on by the viral disease. A damn shame, the greed in pricing something that could potentially give me my life back.
I know about Benitec.
How to get pills from India . You need to have prescription and go there ?
I’m in the UK and while our free National Health Service is justly envied in the USA, I’ve been told that despite having pretty advanced fibrosis I don’t yet qualify for the treatments due to cost. Apparently I have to have cirrhosis before I have a chance for meds. I could have interferon but even my consultant advises “no” and says it’s a rough ride. Crazy as the costs to the state will be greater if I end up with liver failure or cancer.
Interesting Sandy of what your consultant advises. Interferon can make you ill, and very ill in some, but research suggests that those who have taken interferon are not subject to cancer as others.
There is no reason to take interferon (and soon there will be no reason to take ribavirin). New treatments are safe and effective.
Sandy, I thought as well to tell you that you are fortunate to have fibrosis of the liver at this time. Diet and knowing what your liver can tolerate, or what can cause the advancement into cirrhosis is important for you; sugars, alcohol, fatty foods, processed foods are some to avoid. Drinking natural fluids like water, coconut water are good for you. Here in Canada, the government has stepped in and picked up the cost through various agencies for treatment of “Hep C” using the drug Harvoni. I can imagine it would be just a matter of time for UK to follow suite. So many are jumping on the bandwagon for a patient friendly cure with much promising finding at the trial stages. Keep healthy; physically, mentally, and find a reason to have good laughs!
Thanks. I guess I’m lucky that I’m relatively asymptomatic, though I get tired easily and get pain around my liver, plus developed sudden skin problems. I don’t drink which I know does my liver a favour! I take milk thistle, lipoic acid and b complex, also went to the Tibetan centre in London where a doc who specialises in the liver and treats the Dalai Lama gave me courses of herbs, all of which helped my well being a lot, as did a couple of short breaks to Cornwall and Portmeirion in Wales (where The Prisoner tv show was filmed in the 60s). It does disappoint me that doctors are so sceptical about milk thistle and the Tibetan herbs, as if there’s no correlation between taking em and fact I feel better. I am wary of interferon as 40 to 50% cure isn’t great, and the newer meds apparently do well if you’re treatment naive. A woman in the UK found it cured her disease but made her painfully unable to tolerate bright light whether natural or artificial.
Best wishes to you!
i have hep c gene o type 1a, what is out there for me? i feel ill and have chills often
Harvoni
thanks. what about getting it through medicaid? The gvt insurance. is not liking to pay or allow us to either.
Medicaid is different in every state. You need to find a doctor who will advocate for your getting the medicine. As soon as you get a prescription for Harvoni, you must sign up for Gilead’s Support Path and they might give you the medicine for free. After all attempts at getting the medicine have failed, then you can go to India to get the generic version of the medicine. It costs less than $2,000 for 12 weeks of treatment in India.
I have gvt insurance and they denied me twice but after my liver specialist appealed it and they had to actually look at my medical records they couldn’t deny me since my liver was so bad. They want you to be on death’s doorstep before they ok it for you unfortunately. The good news is I am on week 7 out of 12 and the virus is negative in my body !!! I had this disease for probably about 30 years. I can not express the sense of relief and happiness I have to finally be rid of it!
Is this new treatment ? Can virus come back after treatment is done ?
Is anyone finding a slight tendency towards malnutrition? I have to take Vitamin A and high doses of Vitamin D