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Avatar universal

Victrelis or Telaprevir?

I earlier posted that I am getting ready for re treatment using one or the other above anitvirals.  I treated eight years ago and responded but relapsed afterwards.  I was grade 1 fibrosis ten years ago and a recent biopsy shows the same result.  I am type 1 genotype and a 61 year old male.  

I read here about really bad problems with the Teleprivir rash and high blood pressure problems.  I tend to have dry skin and already have a blood pressure problem so I wonder do you have these same occurrences with the Boceprevir?  And which drug has a better success rate?  I read different things and it is a bit confusing.  

Any help in choosing one or the other would be appreciated.

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Avatar universal
When I was discussing options with my doc he mentioned something about my response to the pegasus.  If that was questionable then Victrelis would tell the story because of lead in with SOC before the Vic is introduced.  It sounds like you responded last time so either drug would likely be effective.  I didn't get the rash until last week of treatment.  I have anemia issue so I picked Telaprevir because the Vic has more severe anemia.  I didn't know about blood pressure issues and dry skin is not the cause of the rash.  Dry skin can be helped with lotion and hydration. The idea of the rash scared me alot, and the short time I had a minor rash (compared to others) it made me crazy.  I hope the doctor you treat with has experience with the meds.  There are others on this forum with great information on comparing the two drugs.  This is just my experience.   I recently completed Telaprevir and it was a rough ride.  I'm 59.
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1148619 tn?1332010984
I am 57, geno type 1 treatment naive. I chose victrilis for a few reasons. One, I was not up to the 60 grams of fat needed with inc. also, I wanted the month of lead in with soc to see how my body responded . I have been doing Vic one week now, at four weeks I was undetectable. I also was not up to the rash. The treatment time is a little shorter with incivek so that is something to consider.  
Good luck with you decision and treatment. Be sure to talk to your doctor about pros/cons.  I think you have a fantastic chance to clear.  Have you had a gene test done?  They started doing these last spring, it helped in my decision process.

Mo
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Avatar universal
Good luck with your treatment, sounds like you are doing very well.  I responded to the Pegaysys, they tested me three times in 2003/2004.  I was undetectable at about a month BUT I tested 212 at 6 months and undetectable again at the end.  I tolerated the stuff very well (Pegasys/generic riba) and had little anemia problems.  Blood pressure was low and I have a little bit of kidney trouble (GRF 60 to 80) for which I take BP pills.

BUT since 2004 I have had a hip replaced (in 2006) due to an accident and I know that skin infections (which could result from a rash) are dangerous with artificial hips.  So, it could be that my best bet might be the drug with the anemia risk instead of the drug with the skin infection risk. (Wow, what choices we have. )

Thanks for your reply.  I see the doc on November 1 and am supposed to decide one way or the other by then.
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Avatar universal
Mo, I'm with you on the fat.  Last time I treated I guess I could have used a little more fat as by the end I was wearing jeans that fit me in my 30's.  But the idea of eating all that fat on schedule is not something I look forward to.  

With victrelis do you take SOC (interferon+riba) for a month before starting the Vic?   You mention a gene test, and I don't think I have had one done other than the one that says I'm genotype 1a.  My HCV Rna viral load is 3,779,631,  Would a gene test help determine which drug might be the best?

I'm leaning a bit toward Boceprevir the reasons I stated above.  But, I suppose with Boceprevir you must use the Schering Plough interferon and before I used the Roche Pegasys.  Lots to decide.
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Avatar universal
Sounds like you have a good reason to go with Vic.  The rash is a real concern and with your hip replacement sounds like you have a good reason to do Vic.  We all have our own issues.  There are helper medications for anemia, I need both even after being done with Telaprevir.  Both are very powerful and will give you good results whatever you decide.
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Avatar universal
A question:  You mention the Victrelis and leading in with the SOC.  Can you take either the Pegays or the Schering Polugh interferon and is that what makes the difference?  I think the Pegasys had a bit better results than the other interferon.  And I guess you take the branded ribavirin?  Before I took the generic riba and I always wondered about that and was that as good as the name brand stuff.
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Avatar universal
I think you take interferon not pegasus with Vic.  Most insurance will only cover the generic riba.  I became pretty anemic on generic riba.  Still am.

Spectra on this site has lots of info on Vic.  Look for his post and send him a message.  He was in the trials and knows everything about the stuff.  He is SVR.

Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I struggled with this descision as well. I also chose VIC because I wanted to see how I would respond on SOC and I will add VIC in 3 weeks, but I am on Pegasys.....you have a choice on which interferon to use.

Good luck~
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Avatar universal
Pegasys is the Roche interferon (alpha-2a) and when it was first introduced around ten years ago some believed that it worked a little better than the other pegalayted interferon called PegIntron (alpha-2b) that was sold by Schering-Plough.  I don't know if that is true or if it has any bearing now with triple treatment.  I was also told that Pegasys was easier tolerated than PegIntron.  I need to figure out which one to take now but it may be that you take PegIntron if you take the Vic and Pegasys if you take the Incevik.

This forum is great, wish I had this when I treated before.
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Avatar universal
So you are taking the Pegasys with the Incevik?  As I responded (but with a "breakthrough" at 6 months) to the Pegasys I guess I better go with it again.
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Avatar universal
i am at week 15. did the incivek. we had a class at our hospital before treatment began to talk about the drugs, how to take them and the side effects. they mentioned the rash but some of the things they said would/could help was keeping your skin moist. bath with oils, lotion, staying out of the sun. I didn't get a rash thankfully and survived the 12 weeks of civ. Also we didn't know there were two drugs they just gave us the civ. I looked on the FDA web site about the two and it said on the studies that were done the incivek responded more favorably. good luck
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Avatar universal
I am using Pegasys and Victrelis. That is what the doctor ordered. I have only done one shot, but it wasn't major so far. But you do have a choice ...you can do Victrelis with Pegintron or Pegasys.
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Avatar universal
I do remember my gastro doctor eight years ago who was treating a large number of folks with SOC said that he had noticed that the Pegasys which was new at the time was easier to tolerate than Pegintron which had been approved earlier.  
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Avatar universal
I think there is a specific recommendation for which Pegasys to take depending on geno type and possibly which 3rd drug you will be on.  I don't have the link but I foudn a very detailed treatment option paper that walks thru the options.  I'll see if I can find it.
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