Hep C Pharmacy Fun

Well I`ve been lurking here since shortly after starting treatment 10 weeks ago but I figure its time to share.

It was almost a year ago when my doc noticed my enzyme levels during a routine physical so a few more tests and he confirms I have hep c so he refers me to the specialist. This gastrointesologist or whatever the quacks moniker is sends me for blood tests for about 6 months while my enzyme levels bounce around and finally
says, "Yep you should go for treatment, but I don`t do it so I will have to refer you to another specialist." What a waste of time and blood samples.

So by the time my new specialist gets all his tests done and Pharmacare approval for funding (12 weeks initially to see if I respond before they fund the full 48 weeks) it was Jan 18 before I picked up my Redipen kit and took it to the Docs for my first injection. Did not sleep at all that first night from the fever and sweats and headache but by the 4 or 5th shot I have almost no sides from the shots. Just about the time the daily fatigue from the Ribaviran starts kicking in.

At week 2 the docs nurse shows me how to give myself the shot so the next week I go to pick up my prescription (which they have to order in) and the box looks different so I ask the pharmacist "are these Reddipens" After they check the box and then the original RX she comes back with a sheepish look and says they will have it the next day.

2 weeks later I pick up my next RX and its not until I go for my second shot out of that box that I open up the package and low and behold there is no needle in the package. Phone the pharmacy and they say they will get one in the next day.

This week I went to pick up my RX and they want me to pay the whole price. I say Pharmacare has approved me for 12 weeks treatment and they check their computer and say it was only 8 weeks and expired. Anyhow the Doc got it straightendd out the next day so I went back to the Pharmacy to pick up my RX, got home and gave myself my shot and figured what the heck, lets make sure the other reddipen box is complete so I open it and sure enough- no needle. At least this time I have a week to get a needle.

Anybody else have this much fun trying to get their meds?

A couple more weeks and I`ll be going for my 12 week viral load test and find out if this has been worth it so far and if I get to carry on for the rest of the 48 weeks.

Good luck to all in treatment
Mac

Source: Hepatitis C Support Newsgroup

Idenix lowers dosage in drug trial

MAR. 23 5:36 P.M. ET Idenix Pharmaceuticals Inc. on Thursday said that its lowered dosages of its hepatitis C treatment in mid-stage trials after finding that higher dosages produce gastrointestinal side effects.

Idenix and Novartis AG --with whom Idenix is collaborating on the development of valopicitabine as a treatment for hepatitis C -- lowered the daily dosages given in its Phase IIb trials of the drug to 200 milligrams or 400 milligrams, from the original 800 milligram dosage. The Food and Drug Administration has agreed to the change in the ongoing trials, Idenix said.

Shares of Idenix fell $3.25, or 16 percent, to $17 in after-hours electronic trading on the Inet after it closed up by 5 cents on the Nasdaq. The stock has traded between $15.83 and $28.30 over the past year.

Source: Business Week

Response from the Hepatitis C Newsgroup

I believe Valopicitabine to be the furhest advanced among the various drugs having clinical trials.However, due to the side effects and lower dosages it appears it will only be a modest improvement over existing treatment. It may be the first to hit the market but VX-950, the Schering-Plough PROTEASE INHIBITOR, or AVI-4065 (just entering phase I trials) are probably the future of Hep C treatment.