just say no to RIBA

Harvoni is awesome.

I am on Solvadi and Olysio.Most people I know are on just Harvoni.People love there Harvoni

Sometimes you don't want to piss off your Dr. But that's a good question.

call the nurses at gilead for an extra opinion.

Some trial results showed lower SVR rates when RIBA was added to Harvoni. I would question the doctor on adding RIBA. Maybe there are different statistics available?

Sounds out of the ordinary to me

I think that being a non-responder makes them want to add ribavirin but yet when I research, I do not find clinical trials of Harvoni with Ribavirin. That is the beautiful thing about Harvoni, the absence of Ribavirin. My new Dr. suggested 24 weeks of Harvoni plus ribavirin for me. I questioned the ribavirin. He asked " can you take it ". My response was " yes, if I have to but I don't want to, isn't that the thing with Harvoni, you don't have to?". So he sent in orders for 24 weeks of Harvoni only.....Denied.....Thanks SAV-RX....
If you can get your DR. to slow down enough to talk to you, ask him to explain his logic. That stuff hurts. If your as old as me, and you already did it. It is not going to be easy and it will make it reall hard to hold down a job.

Here is a section of a report on clinical trials from an article about Harvoni. Note the last sentence.

In the first trial, comprised of treatment-naive participants, 94 percent of those who received Harvoni for eight weeks and 96 percent of those who received Harvoni for 12 weeks achieved SVR. The second trial showed 99 percent of such participants with and without cirrhosis achieved SVR after 12 weeks. And in the third trial, which examined Harvonis efficacy in treatment-experienced participants with and without cirrhosis, 94 percent of those who received Harvoni for 12 weeks and 99 percent of those who received Harvoni for 24 weeks achieved SVR. In all trials, ribavirin did not increase response rates in the participants.

Best wishes
Mark

Have you been treated with Daclatasvir or an NS5a inhibitor before? If so, that may be the reason you were prescribed Riba too.

I was treated with one but my doctor was going to prescribe Harvoni but not Riba. I'm going to question him on this one more time.

If someone is going to take Viekira and has used an NS5A inhibitor, they have to take Riba too. Apparently it is meant for Geno 1B and can only be used for 1A if used with Riba.

Shows how much research we have to do to ensure our docs are doing the right thing.

You guys are great! Thank you so much for taking the time to respond to me.

My doctor and I are in a Catch 22 with the insurance company. Dr. prescribed 24 weeks of Harvoni alone. Insurance would only pay for 12 weeks of Harvoni with 12 Ribi [sorry that I made a mistake in my original post - I'm only on the miracle meds for 12 weeks]. I have Stage 4 cirrhosis so I'm happy to have any chance at Harvoni that I can get.

Markk: thank you for going to the trouble of supplying the clinical trial results. Who knows what the insurance company was reading???

Dawter: no, I've not been treated with Daclatasvir or an NS5a inhibitor.

Week 2 starts Friday. Watch out dragon, I'm comin' in swinging, albeit with Ribi "features" starting to rear their ugly little heads.

Hang in, Everyone. We can do this!

I assume you have already seen the information at link below:

http://www.gilead.com/news/press-releases/2014/11/gilead-announces-harvoni-study-results-in-chronic-hepatitis-c-patients-with-advanced-liver-disease-and-those-who-failed-prior-treatment

Hey Fingers,
This kept me busy for hours.
hcvguidelines.org/full-report/retreatment-persons-whom-prior-therapy-has-failed

1st thing I did was make a list of treatment names and list the compounds in them so I could follow the report. Thats just me and my way of trying to understand the report. If it wasn't for brain fog I would be one educated hepper by now. I seem to forget as quick as I learn. Hope this helps.
Solvaldi=sofosbuvir
Olysio= simperevir
Harvoni=sofosbuvir + ledipasvir
Viekira pac=ombitasvir+partaprevir+ritonavir+dasabuvir

It appears all these compounds ending with VIR are of the protease inhibitor family.
Then we have the old drugs Ribavirin (RBV) a antiviral antibiotic.
And we can't forget interferon or pegelated interferon or peg-intron.
Anyway that report seems to cover many many situations of failed treatments, and has recommendations on how to move forward.

Rock on Fingers

Harvoni=sofosbuvir + ledipasvir

(ns5a + ns5b inhibitors - cure rate 94% to 99%)


Viekira pac=ombitasvir+partaprevir+ritonavir+dasabuvir

(ns5a, ns5b, ns3/4a + cpy3a - cure rate 91% to 100%)

getting ready to start harvoni. geno type 1a non responder to riba and pegatron shots after 1 yr. of that wow . had to resign from my job back in 08 lost a lot. but still have faith.i start on tue. ill keep everyone in the loop.