...patients with HCV genotypes 2 and 3 who have been "warehoused" waiting for the new sofosbuvir-based regimens can begin treatment immediately.

For HCV genotypes 1, 4, and 6, whether or not to begin using sofosbuvir-based therapy depends on the situation. For patients who do not have severe liver disease, waiting is still an option.
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THANK YOU, KRAMER! YES!

Now - for me, off-label Sofos/Sime is what my doc it gonna go for (I see him in a bit over a month). So that will be off-label - and hopefully my insurance will cover it. They were going to cover triple last year, so I would think they would cover off-label Sofos/Sime for me considering THIS (that was in the article and omg):

"In a study presented at The Liver Meeting, the cost per SVR of current telaprevir-based triple therapy at 1 institution was calculated to be $189,000."

Anyway, this is great great news for ALL of us who still host this unwelcome guest, HCV.

What is the status of simeprevir? Did it get approved yet? I'm losing track....

Janssen Therapeutics on November 22 announced the approval of simeprevir oral capsules as part of a combination

thank you Google!

As far as I understand once drugs are approved they should be available very soon (days/weeks) after. Now as far as the financing (insurance) that I am not sure. If one has tons of cash then off they go otherwise we have to wait until the financial details fall into place.
In Canada I have been told March for private insurance and hopefully the Fall for outpatient coverage through provincial health plans.

FDA approved Sovaldi (sofosbuvir), manufactured by Gilead Sciences Inc., based in Foster City, Calif. The 400 mg once-a-day tablet has been proven safe and effective in treating HCV types 1, 2, 3, and 4 including those that are already waiting for liver transplant and/or with HCV/HIV-1 infection.

http://www.hngn.com/articles/19028/20131207/fda-approves-breakthrough-therapy-treatment-for-chronic-hepatitis-c.htm

Now I remember... the brand name for simeprevir is OLYSIO in the US and GALEXOS in Canada and something else in Japan. I don't get the reason for the different names but suspect it has to do with money.

SOLVALDI and OLYSIO - gotta remember those new names so next time I talk to my doc I don't seem uninformed. :)

Very Italian feel to these names. I am saying them with a fake Italian accent.

I am wondering about the Sovaldi label (which I saw somewhere; I will find it in a bit) that states Geno 1s make take it for 24 weeks with Riba. Anyone's thoughts on that? I really wonder - I don't want to take Riba for that long, but I guess I would if my insurance won't approve the Sovaldi/Olysio off-label.

Here is the Gilead label for Soldiva - 34 pages of .pdf:

http://www.gilead.com/~/media/Files/pdfs/medicines/liver-disease/sovaldi/sovaldi_pi.pdf

4 page "Patient Information Sheet" from Sovaldi:

http://www.gilead.com/~/media/Files/pdfs/medicines/liver-disease/sovaldi/sovaldi_patient_pi.pdf

A lot coming down the pike the past few days for those of us still infected to take in, eh? I am in a holding pattern until I see my doc on January 16 - will see what his thoughts are on all of this for me, Geno 1a, Stage 3+ at least, long-time sufferer of HCV (40+ years).

I am very happy to know about the NEWLY APPROVED TXs out there - so the doc and I can get right down to business as far as discussing my options at this point - and how long he thinks I can safely wait should I not be able to get insurance approved (paid for) off-label tx.

Geno 2's - YOUR TIME IS NOW!

Thanks Kramer for the info, - catty magic .im with you in said holding pattern... Haven't seen my gastro since a yr, I think. Oncologist was Pushing tx back in May. triple.. No way. RIBA etc would kill me. Stage 1-2 gen 1a
Anyhoots, I'll await more info... Hopefully affordable or else....

Depends on how much Riba you take, MWC. I am a skinny minny and trials earlier this year were all doing 1000 mg a day for people under 165 pound. I'm about 57 pounds under that - but I would have been started on 1,000 regardless. I think that's one reason I didn't get into the Abbvie Turquoise II trial - the reason given was my too low creatinine clearance, but I think that translated to probable kidney problmes on that nuch Riba = not finishing the trial or at least not a "success" - not what pharmas want in trial participants. Some trials now are starting lower and working up if warranted. The new Gilead ones are, actually - Sovaldi + 5816 (is that right?) w or w/out Riba. I think they start at 600 mg for the lightweight folks - so lessons have been learned about Riba.

NO DOUBT though - peg is the big bad wolf. I would not treat at all ever if I had to do that poison.

I'm with ya on the big bad wolf part Cat.....

LED/5885 + SOF had such great results w/ the ION trial even w/out riba... I'm sure big G is working on it's approval.

LOL - add a couple more $$$$$$$$$$$

New "info" on Olysio:

http://hepatitiscnewdrugs.blogspot.com/2013/12/olysio-simeprevir-what-is-resistant.html

GAG - the PRICE - omg - well, we all knew this - same insanity as Sovaldi.

Geno 1a's have a glitch with this stuff - I'll let you all read about it. HOWEVER, I read about that a month or so ago and called my doc - his NP told me that IF Olysio is used with Sovaldi, Soldiva mitigates (diminishes) the Q80K polymorphism that some Geno 1a's carry - and here it is, just like she told me, in this article. Is that "good enough" for me? Well, I think I'd want to be tested for Q80K before treating with Olysio + Sovaldi - but... hey, maybe not. I NEED TO TREAT - NOW!