This is GREAT!

And Kramer and ALL - not gonna reveal my source for this info, but I just spoke to someone in the "inner circles" of the new meds, and she told me that the tx for GEN 1's will be available by the first of next year. I asked her if that was with Interferon - NOPE! I asked her if she was sure it wasn't just the Gen 2's and 3's - NOPE, for US TOO! She seemed very sure of her information, and is in a position to know. It is a definite, at least with her "group" - that 12 weeks of the new meds (the Gilead combo) is all that is necessary to CURE this virus.

YES YES YES YES

BELIEVE

big news for sure

Thanks CM I'll put that info in my wish basket. I personally feel it will be very soon indeed! 1st :^)

catmagic, is the tx for Geno 1's without ribavirin? and Interferon?

YES - that's what she told me. Interferon is OUT. Ribavirin will be out too! OMG, right? Trials have proven that Riba is not necessary as long as the other drugs are doing their job, which they ARE.

Let's get our minds wrapped around this and make it so - thoughts are things.

Oh - and YES YES - she was talking about Geno 1's!!!! I'm a Geno 1a. I asked her clearly if she meant we would have this by early 2014, and she said YES, we would. These Gilead trials now are looking strictly at how long tx needs to be - will 8 weeks do the job or are 12 weeks necessary (24 are NOT) - that's the reason for the new trials - tx duration for efficacy and SVR.

What about post-transplanters! That's what I want to hear something new about.

Ah, Marilyn, I don't know any news about that. And honestly, this info. I got today - well, I am hopeful, but ... no one really knows how soon we will be able to get these drugs - that become MEDS when they are FDA approved. I try not to get my hopes up too much, ya know? I wish I had some information for you. Are you still planning on triple tx? That's a difficult decision considering that these new meds MIGHT be only several months away - but you need to treat asap, I know. Be well - stay strong.

I honestly do think that Riba might still be part of the tx for Gen 1's - esp. after reading this article that Kramer just posted.

http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2013/05/02/gild-gilead-lonestar-hep-c-data.aspx

But Interferon is definitely gone for good. I am willing to take Riba but only under the supervision of my hepatologist, where the amount can be tweaked or eliminated entirely, which I don't think can be done in trials - they may and do lessen the dosage, but I don't think they can eliminate it from the cocktail.

This is good enough for me - when these drugs become available, I'm IN - can't afford what will be a VERY high cost for off-label drugs - I'm sure most of us couldn't (and like Katanda, I'm sure insurance isn't going to pay for them off-label).