looking hopeful

[girlly166]

So was on the phone all day yesterday with Gilead Sciences, they do have some kind of program for people that are in Canada in my situation that can't afford it. I asked if I could come up with some cash can they give it to me for cheaper. They sent my doctor paperwork to fill out and tell them my life situation and being on disibility. I have asked some old contacts of mine if they would help if I can get it cheaper would they help pay for it, so wish me luck. I am only able to try for Solvaldi because of the money situation. So the doctor said it would replace the Victrelis. Will still have the peg and rib. in my cocktail. I will take it if Its only a 12 to 24 week treatment with less side effects. I don't think I would be able to campaign for all the new drugs. Which I am ok with.

Has any1 else did the Sovaldi, Ribravarin, & Peg. interferon treatment and what are your thoughts?

[girlly166]

I am covered for the pegin. and ribravarin, because of the stage my liver is in,  its just the sovaldi that is not covered so hoping they will help me with some kind of assistance. I am so glad you did get assistance. I have to say we do have good government support here, now finding out how hard it can be for some people,  gilead sciences do have some sort of program, so have to wait and see what kind of help they will do.

[girlly166]

Yes I am going to look into  Olysio.  I am going to talk to my doctor hopefully he will listen to me and support me. Thank you for all the information.

[susan400]

I am unaware of how Canada works as far as Gilead goes. But, in U.S., they helped me alot with the PAN foundation.  PAN stands for Patient Access Network     I ended up with $0.00 co-pay, which for me was an absolute miracle.  In the past over the years, my husband and I were hit very hard with extravagant co-pays and with this drug, there was no way we were going to be able to afford the co-pays for the Sovaldi, Peg and Riba all together.  I feel like the PAN foundation was an answer to Prayer!  I hope you are also blessed with some help as well. Susan400

[girlly166]

I want to look into the all Oral but time is not on my side, having mild cirrhosis to just makes it worse, I am happy to cut my treatment in half, but I am still going to ask my doctor to help me look into the Olysio. thank you for your kind words this site has to be the best help and support I have ever come across. Thnk u pat

[girlly166]

Hi Mac, Thank you for your info. I wish I could wait but since I have mild cirrhosis Its not a good idea. So I have worked on getting the sovaldi to cut my treatment in half. I wish I could avoid the peg, interferon. so I am taking this info and going to see if olysio can give me some assistance to. I haven't looked into the olysio so I don't no much about it. But have heard a lot of people talking about it.  I am seeing my doctor on the 24th of sept. so lets see what he says. If he is not going to support me in my decisions about the depression and other health issues than time to look for another doctor. It is crazy that in the future they will have easier and better treatments for things we had to fight for.

[mac790]

Hi wtbleep and Girly166, Girlly: It pains me to see you bankrupt yourself to get treated. This Canada thing sounds like it may have a lot of hoops to jump through. I do remember the days of bus trips of people from the USA to Canada specifically to buy reasonably priced meds. These days, I use a mail order pharmacy in the UK for a drug that is 66% cheaper than what it would cost me here. So going to The Great White North for cheaper meds is nothing new, but the prices are still obscene. Will you be able to afford the supplemental drug(s) to Sovaldi, either Osylio or PEG-INF and RBV? I think you mentioned some depresion from the PEG-INF, I thought it might be worth investigating if your MMT could be the cause. The incidence of depression in long term MMT users has been documented extensively. Just a thought- but please, if you can delay tx, the landscape of available CHC treatments, and their costs, will look entirely different in 2 years times. Please hang in there if you can and manage your other health issues, maybe talking to your PM MD and switching to buprenorphine. You might kill 2 birds w/ 1 stone. In the right dose, it can control chronic pain, and studies have shown it has a pronounced anti-depressant effect. As mentioned previously, I'm not an MD, but I would really like to see you not bankrupt yourself by aiting, and having a talk w/ your PM MD about BUP.mac790
To wtbleep:  Hi. Your GI MD and the guy running my clinical trial seem to have a difference of opinion. According tomy trial director, ( a Phase III, 1 pill a day combo of a DAA and second generation protease inhibitor) they are looking to do away with INF and RBV. All of the major big pharma entities that have these new 1 pill treatments in trials or development are looking to eliminate PEG-INF and RBV forever. RBV was a good start, but it has been replaced by a second generation of meds, using knowledge gained from the chemical structure and use data concerning RBV. It was a trail blazing drug, but its' days are numbered, at least according to my guy. The first DOA will be the PEG-INF, NONE of these new meds coming out will use it. Nor the original formulation of RBV. Everyone is striving for the 1 pill a day, less than 12 week, 100% cure rate, no matter what stage of cirrhosis you have, unless you are totally cirrhotic, then you would be on the transplant waiting list. I certainly hope that does not apply to you or Girlly166. Anyway, I thought you might be interested in hearing another MDs opinion on the subject. This rotten, insidious pestilent disease will be history by 2036 an MD recently predicted at a major conference of HCV MDs. I assume that will inlcude a vaccine, hopefully. Far better not to have to treat it at all, no matter how good the treatments get. I personally feel in 5 years or so you will simply check youself into a clinic or hospital, they will give you an infusion lasting a few hours, keep you overnight for observation, and release you the next day, and in 2 weeks your viral load will measure as "not detectable".That is how fast the technology is progressing. I hope you have the time so you could wait for these new therapies, and thus avoid the INF/RBV grind.Whichever road you choose, you will have my support and best wishes. Take Care, mac790

[wtbleep]

As far as I know for GT1 you take the three drug combo (sofosbuvir + riba + peg) for 12 weeks as approved by Health Canada.  For GT2 or 3 you may leave out the peg.  This is the link I found this morning.
http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/dhp-mps/prodpharma/sbd-smd/drug-med/sbd_smd_2014_sovaldi_165043-eng.php
Until it is approved for coverage by pharmanet here in BC, I will have to wait b/c I cannot afford it on my own.  Wish I could wait for an all oral combo - we'll see.  I relapsed in 2011 from a clinical trial combo with a PI from Boerhinger.  There don't seem to be any trials for those who relapse and GT1 will always need tx that includes riba + peg according to my specialist.  Good luck with your tx!!

[Idyllic]

Wow Kudos for you Girly! You managed the Sovaldi? And you'll have the Riba?
Unless you are in a super hurry why not exhaust every resource for the Olysio?  I mean if there is a way to avoid taking Peg it might be worth a try.


You have probably seen all this. It is a PDF with some pretty cool charts that compare all the HCV meds from something called the Canadian Pharmacists Newsletter

http://canadianpharmacistsletter.therapeuticresearch.com/pl/ArticlePDF.aspx?cs=&s=PLC&DocumentFileID=0&DetailID=300224&SegmentID=0.

(Oy look at the Common Adverse Effects for those Protease Inhibitors!!)

Anyway
One chart has:
Olysio (U.S.): $66,360 for 12 weeks
Galexos (Canada): $39,422.40 for 12 weeks

Galexos program not available at press time.
Contact Janssen Medical
Information at 800-567-333

From the Sovaldi page

This is the Sovaldi one which you probably already stumbled across
U.S.: $84,000 for 12 weeks
Canada: price not available at press time.

Patient assistance programs:
U.S: www.mysupportpath.com

Canada: 866-207-4267
(Momentum Support Program


This is probably American
If you need OLYSIO™ and are uninsured and unable to pay for medicine, please call JJPAF at 1-800-652-6227 or visit www.JJPAF.org to see if you qualify for assistance.

Contact Information: 855-5-OLYSIO or www.olysio.com

.

[dontworry_behappy1]

You can make this happen for you.  There is assistance to treat your hep
c.  Many agencies come together to assistance you with the treatment drugs.

http://www.projectinform.org/hepc/patient-assistance-program-established-for-sovaldi-sofosbuvir/

I think you will get direction from the above site.

Best to you

[patra_]

Congratulation on being a SUCCESSFUL Advocate!! How empowering that you, yourself, were able to get this worked out!  Sorry you had to, but it is so good that you did.

I can't address that particular med protocol, but we have many on here who have done it and are doing it.  I believe that it is definitely no longer than 24 weeks, and believe it may be only 12 weeks.  Someone(s) with experience will know for sure!

Again, congrats on gettin' er done, to quote Larry the Cable Guy.  Hang in there and just keep on keeping on.  Before you know it, you will have it all behind you.  On to SVR, new Warrior!        Pat