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Gray market for trial drugs

Just curious if anyone knows if there's a gray market for the new trial drugs.  For example is something like PSI-7977 or other trial drugs available through alternate means, i.e., outside the trial settings?

They've had great success with PSI-7977 for example, but the average Joe will be lucky if that drug hits markets before 2015 I think.  Many people's condition will irreparably worsen prior to then.

I expect the trial drugs are more tightly controlled than even schedule II drugs and the small quantity produced doesn't make it likely but still I have to ask the question.

For the purposes of this post I'm not interested in the ethical or safety implications at this time.   Just wondering is all.
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1765684 tn?1333819168
I'm in a trial.  When I was taking the trial drugs, I was required to account for any missing or extra medication at each and every appointment.  In addition to that, I had blood drawn specifically to check the levels of the drugs in my system.

I would imagine it's *possible*, anything is, but highly, highly unlikely that anyone would be able to acquire these drugs for sale.
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Avatar universal
First off; NO.

Second and third; NO  : )

Let me explain. This is a trial drug and is made in small batches and is probably tightly controlled.  I never heard of ANY trial drug for HCV being made available and certainly this is true for the drug you have mentioned as well.

Since even this possibly "best in class" drug is subject to short demand and so a few doses might not help you even if you *could* acquire them.  This drug is also subject to creating resistance, so if you didn't quite clear and SVR with this drug, you might have some subsequent resistance issues.

How would you even begin to prove that someone sold you...... certified pure drug....and not some adulterated product or even potentially useless or even dangerous product?

Most people who would consider this route probably would not have the competence to treat themselves at home anymore than they would be savvy to perform home surgery, IMHO.

I don't know what you mean by "many" people's condition will worsen irreparably"...... more that 10 people, 100?  1000? 1 million?  

Percentage wise...... most people will not change much in their staging in 3 years.  
However.....one knows that when there are 3-4 million people in the United States with HCV, that many will progress in their staging, some will die, some will progress to decompensation, some may bump up a stage and others may remain the same.  I have mnet people who made diet and lifestyle changes whose damage staging seemed to improve.

But for whatever size that group is....... your option really is not an option for these people.  It's not remotely on the table.  The consequences of people trying to treat themselves if they were in this category would be far worse than the consequences of remaining under competent medical supervision, IMHO.

Fast forward 3-5 years...... it is quite possible that many cirrhotics who might never be treated and cured with current treatment will be able to be cured with the upcoming forms of treatment.

These will be safer, shorter and less likely to push one from compensated damage into DEcompensation.  The sides will be less, during and following TX and there will be less post TX collateral damage IMHO.

There are various types of studies ongoing for reducing fibrosis and many people.....even cirrhotics may see some improvement post TX in either staging or associated co-morbidities.

Common expectations that cirrhotic damage is permanent are being somewhat softened, and so I *think* some "irreversible damage" may in fact be reversible in some cases.

There is just a little bit of opinion in this post, but that is how I see it.  : )

willy
Helpful - 0
163305 tn?1333668571
Since nobody's answered I'll tell you my opinion.

My guess is these things are all so tightly controlled,  mostly to stop the competition from figuring out their formular, that no, you won't find a grey, black or blue market.

From my experience traveling to Asia, if the right person got their hands on the meds, they'd be turning them out on the streets of Bangkok before you could blink!

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