SF Biz Times "Gilead has the Cure"

[purplecat]

http://www.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/print-edition/2013/03/01/gilead-reaches-for-a-cure.html
Fourteen months after buying a small biotech company with a promising hepatitis C treatment for $11 billion, Gilead Sciences Inc. is on the cusp of seeking approval for a potential cure.

But even with the drug’s accelerated pace, some say, Foster City-based Gilead is leaving behind an important player: patients with the debilitating and potentially deadly virus. Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. and a handful of vocal patients say the cure could arrive more quickly if Gilead cooperated with its competitor.

“I get that it’s all about their profit,” said Margaret Dudley, a San Antonio woman with hepatitis C who has launched ...
-------------------------------------------------------------
This is all I can see of the Article or I have to pay 59.00 for subscription but this just was published in weekly "San Francisco Business Times"

Would like to see whole article but can afford the 59 bucks.

Anyone subscribe to SFBIZ?

[purplecat]

So Sorry, just opened article from my laptop and See "Gilead Reaches for a cure"  Big difference, darn I phone, still can't see whole article but nothing new in this info.  I was hoping some results have come out.

[purplecat]

http://digital.bizjournals.com/launch.aspx?eid=aed95a38-3348-4d8a-a263-1aa95fe01679&pnum=38

Here is the rest of Gilead Article.  I tested and it worked in my lap top.  Complete article is an informative read. Recommend you try to open it.

[BeatTheBeast]

Very interesting.  Thanks.

BTB

[christinatas]

i was able to copy/paste and read article w/o no problem

[asle]

Margaret Dudley only has 4000 signatures on her White House Petition. Please everyone sign it. We are one of the most vocal groups for supporting the fast tracking of Gilead's new drugs. We only have until March 20th to get 100,000 signatures. That's the amount required for the Whit4e House to even look at it.
https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/expedite-cure-hepatitis-c-drug-companies-hold-cure-without-toxic-ribavirin-or-interferon/tXC9B6S2

[HectorSF]

This is the same old misinformation that has been floating around for almost a year. New developments with other drug combinations has made this early trial ancient history by now. Many of us have been cured with Sofosbuvir without Bristol Myers Squibb's daclatasvir. Bristol is using its own drugs along with peg-interferon and ribavirin in trials to create they own therapies for hep C.

But this is a business paper owned by a national chain of business papers that advertises to local businesses. It is only available in news stands in the financial district here is SF. One reads anyway unless your company buys it for their employees and it is free.

Hector

[can-do-man]

I agree Hector, I wish more attention was being used by some... Hope all is well guy

[Diana66]

Hector, I thought that Sofosbuvir does not work by itseld. Right now, to be succesful it needs to be combined also with Ribavirin

Although only for 12 weeks it is still toxic

I think that Margaret is pushing for the combination without the Riba and Interferon

It was ready to go, everything had fantastic results, but Gilead is more interested in the money. And I do not buy the idea that they are responsible to their shareholders as they would not exist without us, the patients. So they are responsible to us to start with

I am forced to treat with a combination which is not in my best interest at the same time when a better option was in fact available but greed took precedence

[can-do-man]

Ready to go???  It was only in phase 2 with a total of 88 people and 29 of those had Riba, it did not have a 100% cure rate and there was serious adverse events in 4% of those people....... As for Riba being toxic? We have no ideal how toxic these will turn out to be...... And who is being forced to treat now??? I'm not saying the early results was not good but they was way far from being ready to go, there have been others that blew up once they got into phase 3 trials

There is all kinds of "mix and match" going on right now with also very good results and about 2 years ahead of this now.........

[asle]

Thanks Diana. I was a little perplexed when Hector said this. This is a current petition, hopefully to be delivered to the Whitehouse on March 21st.
I just believe that it is worth trying anything to have this treatment, the one tablet for a few weeks, with a 100% clearance rate. We know it exists.

[can-do-man]

Oh my

[HectorSF]

'the cure could arrive more quickly if Gilead cooperated with its competitor. '

First is there anyone here who has been on this community more than a few months that doesn't know that there is NO 100% cure for hepatitis C for all people? Isn't it obviously that SVR depends an many factors including genotype, amount of fibrosis/cirrhosis, how long they treat for, the drugs taken, the ability to tolerate side effects etc etc.

So as we all know that is NO one cure for everyone's hepatitis C. So why keep promoting the falsehood that if only Sofosbuvir and Daclatasvir are combined we would all be SVR? "THE CURE" Anybody who knows anything about hep C and treatment knows this is false on the face of it.
And the falsehoods, misinformation, lack of basic knowledge of Sofosbuvir how it works with Ribavirin or GS-5885 or peg-IFN/RBV, and the data sets of all the trials we already have...

Actually I have to admit it is pretty funny that people can get all worked up about nothing. I guess the less some people know about a subject the more sure there are in their self righteousness. 'Don't bother me with the facts cause I having such a fun time ranting and raving'. Fine rant and rave on the Social side where is belongs. This is not a medical issue it is a political crusade it should be posted in the proper community.

Hector, I thought that Sofosbuvir does not work by itseld. Right now, to be succesful it needs to be combined also with Ribavirin.
Not true.
First it does work by itself, BUT the SRV rate is poor. 60% in treatment naive so no one is going to use it that way.
Secondly, Sofosbuvir has been combined with many drugs not just Ribavirin. Sofobuvir + Ribavirin is the treatment for genotypes 2/3 ONLY not genotype 1, so how could it be only used with Ribavirin? Did anyone promoting this political agenda even think of reading one article of Sofosbuvir and its different therapies for different genotypes? Apparently not.

Although only for 12 weeks it is still toxic
Toxic? What does toxic mean? Compared to what? Interferon? Interferon and Ribavirin? Interferon and Ribavirin and a PI? Seriously?

I think that Margaret is pushing for the combination without the Riba and Interferon
Why do they think they are trials with GS-5885 and other antivirals?

It was ready to go, everything had fantastic results, but Gilead is more interested in the money. And I do not buy the idea that they are responsible to their shareholders as they would not exist without us, the patients. So they are responsible to us to start with

'Gilead is more interested in money than who'? Bristol-Myers Squibb a global pharma company with more than 31 billion in assets and 28,000 employees? I don't think that got their billions from getting away medicine.  Last time I looked this is a capitalistic system. If you are interested in changing it best of luck. Until then it is going to be difficult because every drug, medical treatment and doctor (and every other commodity) costs money to obtain. This isn't anything new either.

I am forced to treat with a combination which is not in my best interest at the same time when a better option was in fact available but greed took precedence
Greed is something new? Ever hear of the fiscal crises we are still trying to recover from?
It is not in the interest of people infected with hepatitis C to have more effective, shorter treatment duration and minimal side effects? So we should just stay with peg-interferon and ribavirin? Which by the way, still costs a lot of money. I didn't understand what is being promoted as the answer? Waiting until all drugs are no cost and medical tests and doctors fees are free too? I don't thing any of us will live to see that day.

The whole agreement is based of false information with no knowledge of the one study that all this is based on. It is a total fabrication yet people rather spend there time discussion something they know nothing about so they can get all righteous and be indignant. I guess people are bored and have nothing better to do.

All I can say is read the studies if you want to truth. If not, feel free to rant and rave against the evils of money on the Social side, not here on the medical side where people are looking for tangible help.

Myself and others are trying to tangibly help either ourselves or others get the best care possible to beat hep C before suffering the affects of advanced liver disease. I prefer to offer whatever help I can to others if they want it rather than to post my political beliefs about capitalism and the evil empire. While it might make me feel happier to get it off my chest it doesn't help one person who was just told they have hepatitis C, or is treating for the first time, or finds out they have cirrhosis. In my opinion there are plenty of forums on the Internet to promote all different types of causes. Over the years there have been so many people that have come here knowing little and in time because experts in treating and curing their hep C. It is a beautiful thing to see when we see the post of someone we have known for a long time on here say they have achieved SRV. I miss many of them but I know they have gone back to their lives and are living free of hep C which is the whole point of treatment. To me that is what makes this place wonderful in my opinion. So many have been cured here over the years. I believe that is what is community it for. To share our experiences and knowledge to help others on the journey that maybe we have already taken.

Hector.

[Diana66]

Let's be serious, that petition will never gain the desired support and nothing will ever happen. Even if through a miracle 100,000 signatures will materialize, so what. Ultimately it means nothing and a private company cannot be forced to do anytthing.

So let's just move on and hope for the best with the new combinations, whatever they are

[asle]

Lots to learn. I hate to jump on bandwagons and look gullible. My brain is so small these days. Baby steps......

[Jeff88]

Excellent points Hector, totally agree with you.
Gilead is filing for FDA approval in a couple of months.
Hopefully Sofosbuvir will be available by the end of the year.

I need to treat soon, and weigh the option of doing it right away with teleprevir/IFN/Riba or wait a year and treat with Sofosbuvir/IFN/Riba (genotype 1). The big unknown to me is if this combination will indeed be approved by the end of the year?

Previous experience shows that things get delayed, but the current statements from Gilead sound so optimistic...

Jeff

[uncledudeness]

Thank you.

I think sometimes we might forget that all these drug companies are in it for the profit and we all are in the middle of the fight.

Hector, your way of condensing the fog into a digestible read is priceless...

" It is a beautiful thing to see when we see the post of someone we have known for a long time on here say they have achieved SVR."

[gsx1250fa]

I did sign the petition and know Margaret (great dedicated Lady), but I will say this about Gilead and the study I am on. For the first time in 3 years...and currently on my 4th Tx attempt...I have reached UND at week 4 on the combination sofosbuvir/gs-5885 and riba. I never reached UND on the 3 prior attempts with interferon, riba and the last one including Victrelis. I am having virtually no side effects. In the 3 porior attempts with interferon...I had horrible side effects including rashes, swollen prostate, the "cough", weight loss, numbness from elbow to fingertips, mental fog, insomnia, blurred vision, horrible anger issues etc etc. This leads me to believe most of the nasty side effects in my 3 prior attempts were due to the interferon.  I am on week 11 still und with 1 more week to go (12 week arm). I know I am not "out of the woods" yet...but this combination has brought me closer than I have ever been before. Hopefully I (and the rest of us) will attain SVR this time. I know Sofosbuvir will be approved before gs-5885...but probably not long after it.

[gsx1250fa]

I will also say this about Pharma companies and profits. If it was not for a competitive market, and yes with profits being the bottom line...I doubt we would see the aggressive research to reach the closest type of cure we can hope for....and at an astounding pace.

[mdudley]

Posted in San Francisco Business Journal & Medhelp March 2, 2013

http://www.aafp.org/afp/2005/0815/p655.html

Ribavirin causes birth defects, fetal demise, serious hemolytic anemias, and worsening of cardiac disease. It also may be carcinogenic. Patients should be carefully counseled about the risks of these medications and monitored closely during treatment.

Ribavirin can cause a hemolytic anemia. The traditional approach to hematologic toxicity has been reducing the dose of the offending antiviral; however, lower doses also may reduce treatment efficacy.
Elevations of bilirubin usually are an indication of hemolysis caused by the ribavirin and usually are concomitant with drops in the hematocrit. Between 1 and 2 percent of patients will develop thyroid abnormalities severe enough to require clinical interventions, so thyroid-stimulating hormone levels should be checked periodically while the patient is on treatment. Triglycerides can be elevated and can cause pancreatitis.

Posttreatment Issues
Side effects of the medications may linger for some weeks after they are discontinued, and in some cases may be permanent, so monitoring is important even after successful completion of a course of treatment. It is important to reinforce to patients that contraception must be maintained for a full six months after cessation of ribavirin.
===============

The combination of Gilead's sofosbuvir and Bristol's daclatasvir when administered together from day one for 24 weeks cured 100% of genotypes 1, 2, and 3... without TOXIC ribavirin or interferon.  These SVR24 results were released in November 2012 at the AASLD Liver Meeting in Boston.  There were a total of 88 people in the 24 week trial with three arms (we are referring only to the arm mentioned).  There were an additional 82 genotype 1 patients in a 12-week treatment clinical trial.  They only had SVR4 results on 68 of the 82 patients in this 12-week  trial at the AASLD Liver Meeting November 2012 and results were 95 to 98%.

===============

Leading Physicians Statements about this cure combining Sofosbuvir and Daclatasvir (without toxic ribavirin or interferon)


Quote from Dr. Mark Murphy – Savannah Morning News – February 26 2012

Hepatitis C patients have been waiting for a treatment regimen like daclatasvir and sofosbuvir for decades. It’s a true rarity in medicine — an honest-to-goodness game-changer, a phenomenally effective regimen for a serious, life-threatening disease that is also safe and well-tolerated.

Quote from Dr. Paul Thuluvath - Wall Street Journal – November 2012:

"We had never, ever imagined—even in our wildest dreams—we could treat" hepatitis C so quickly, effectively and without serious side effects, said Paul Thuluvath, a doctor at Mercy Medical Center in Baltimore who had six patients test the new treatment. "I think the pharmaceutical companies have a moral responsibility to work together and bring it to market instead of [following] their own vested interests."


Quote from Dr. Scott Friedman – New York Times – April 2012:

“The only appropriate motivation should be what is the best and fastest way to get cures, not what is best for the shareholders,” said Dr. Scott Friedman, chief of liver diseases at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York, who was not involved in the trial.”


Quote from EASL Secretary General Mark Thursz – New York Times – April 2012:
EASL Secretary General Mark Thursz wants to see the two companies work together.
"The combination of daclatasvir and GS-7977 has shown positive results at Phase II. EASL is disappointed that development of this combination has been halted as daclatasvir and GS-7977 promised to deliver a highly effective oral regimen that we hoped would be available to HCV patients soon," said Thursz.

==============

Petition to the Obama Administration:

https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/expedite-cure-hepatitis-c-drug-companies-hold-cure-without-toxic-ribavirin-or-interferon/tXC9B6S2

We petition the Obama Administration to:

Expedite Cure for Hepatitis C - Drug Companies Hold the Cure (without toxic ribavirin or interferon)

Hepatitis C infects almost 4 million Americans and more than 170 million people worldwide, and it now kills more people than AIDS.

Now a safe 100% cure exists, without toxic ribavirin or interferon, but is being held back by 'big pharma'. Immediate action is required to facilitate collaboration between the drug companies with this cure.


HCV Coalition for The Cure  
Representing over 17,000 people who have signed the petition at Change.org and/or the White House Petition.

www.HepC-Cured.org

[mdudley]

Here is a link to the SVR24 results of the Gilead/Bristol trials Reported by Jules Levin | AASLD | Nov 9-13 2012 Boston

http://hepc-cured.com/new-clinical-studies-high-rate-of-sustained-virologic-response-with-the-all-oral-combination-of-daclatasvir-plus-sofosbuvir-with-or-without-ribavirin/

And a link from TAG (Treatment Action Group) with available trial results from all studies including the daclatasvir/sofosbuvir trials:

http://www.pipelinereport.org/toc/HCV/dec-treatment-pipeline-update

We know trial results can be confusing and Jules Levin (NATAP) and Tracy Swan (TAG) have done an excellent job in order to make these results easier to understand.

The AIDS Healthcare Foundation is now lending their support on this petition:.

http://www.aidshealth.org/archives/15802

[rivll]

Thank you Margaret, you have answered my questions.

[Quest5245]

Really Hector???!!!!!  It seems you have forgotten about all of those poor souls that have treated with interferon and ribavirin, and have been told they are cured,  that now have to go on living their lives with new health problems caused by their drug toxicity.  Heart disease, thyroid disease, visual problems, kidney disease, diabetis, just to name a few.  With you the amount of time you spent with your answer, it seems you are the one with nothing better to do, nor does anyone else care to hear your thoughts on capitalism.

[rivll]

You are completely out of line with your response to Hector. You might try using whatever processes left to you to read Hector's profile. Then if you do not want to crawl back under your rock, you might try a heartfelt apology.

[can-do-man]

Looks like all this Hype, misleading info, and Petition is for nothing.

In addition, he said, both daclatasvir and sofosbuvir are likely to be approved soon, with an indication for therapy in combination with the standard HCV drugs, pegylated interferon and ribavirin.

There would then be nothing to stop doctors from using them together off-label, while avoiding the other two, which are associated with a host of adverse effects.

http://hepatitiscnewdrugs.blogspot.ca/2012/11/daclatasvir-and-sofosbuvir-promising.html
----------------------------------------

So Mdudley maybe you ought to be ready to take your fight to the doctors instead of what is a sure losing cause... You cannot force two companys to work together, but you already know that from Senator John Cornyn office right? Since you posted this response..."And they will look into it but can't force two companies to work together..."