HI Jan
I copy paste this from Toronto Western Hospital's Facebook page for you.

David WongToronto Western Hospital Liver Centre
October 23 Toronto
My office has been fielding calls about the new treatment that was approved (Harvoni DIN 0243226 or Sofosbuvir-Ledipasvir) for HCV genotype 1. Many are wondering when they can be treated. Access is definitely the question of the day. The cost is approximately $67,000 if you want to pay cash. If you have a drug plan, we are hoping that it will be covered in the next few months. Otherwise, ODB reimbursement will hopefully be available some time in 2015. We still have clinical trials but they are not looking for a lot of patients. We are planning on running information sessions at Toronto Western Hospital, likely on a weekend, where we can answer questions about these medications. Once we have a date, I will post it on here. Whether you need treatment now or can wait is really an individual question that must be discussed with your healthcare team

Thanks a lot I am glad you saw this I ve used information from you before!! I will have to check out the length of treatment I need I think it is solvadi /Riba for 12 weeks( or Harvoni for 24 weeks ... That was what Gilead Canada said .I am waiting for a call back from the Doctor to call back and see if I can get on the momentum programme to help pay for Harvoni ..If I am geno 3 is the doc allowed to prescribe it if I can pay??? any idea at all Thanks for getting back to me I hope you are doing fine !

Oh I'm sure if you have that kind of money they will be happy to take it. Jam I truly hope you can hang on until you can get access. It is coming.
Are you a patient with the University Health Network? Your GP should be referring you to a hospital hepitologist for best chances I would think. I have been a patient at Toronto Western Liver Centre and probably always will be.

Jan, not Jam ..very sorry.

Hi jansummer55,
You wrote: " in the last year I have gone from stage 3 to 4 cirrhosis and my varices are stage 2 ..I am geno 3a and failed old soc...earlier this year. I beat cancer 2 years ago ...Now my Liver enzymes ( which have alwys just been in the normal range ) are creeping up and out of normal Not sure If Ill make another year."

Kramer is right in suggesting that you wait a bit longer for access because your present condition is not as dire as you think it is.
In my humble opinion and that's all it is, you have a least a few years left before your situation becomes ESLD meaning:
End Stage Liver Disease. And your varices are not as bad as as you think they are.

How can I say this with any confidence? Well, without revealing my entire past, let's just say that have rexieved the gift of life along time ago and had Harvoni been around back in the day when I was ESLD. I probably would have avoided a liver transplant and if not, I know that the virus would not have come back to haunt me like it did back then.

Just like Kramer already mentioned, Please hang on a bit longer because the approvals are coming this coming year in 2015. You can use the Gofundme account to help pay for your other out of pocket expenses that you may incur in the future although I sincerely hope that it will be used for transportation or anything else other than fighting the disease you just beat and this one too.

I believe Kramer is on top of what's going on in Canada and if I were living there I would trust his counsel.

OT for Kramer: Wasssup U old gorilla!

Jan, all the best to you!

thanks guys and thank you for the reassurance I feel pretty rough some days but I try to keep busy ,hapy and fit n healthy as I can ! I see a Dr Puglia at Mc master medical centre who is supposed to be up there in the game so Im gonna make an appointment to see him pesonally and ask him to enroll me in Gileads momentum programme and he can appeal to special needs on my case ..just not sure why he hasnt he only has about 10 geno 3's I hope to convince him to at least try !! thNKS AGAIN
jAN (jAM IS FINE TOO LOLOL)

Harvoni was fast-tracked for approval in the US and is already available under public healthcare.

Canada is not reviewing this drug for coverage under Ontario Drug Program until after least Feb 15.

We should be raising a big stink here to get this approved immediately. The cure is available and they are denying us access.

Can someone explain to me if this should be covered under Exceptional Access or what the purpose of that is?

I just went on the 4 major Toronto newspaper websites and did a search for Harvoni and none of them have anything featured about it. So from what I can figure out, it's not even being followed by the media? Do they not know or not care? We need to get this thing approved asap. Maybe we need to do something here?

I just copied this off another website. I am registered with Momentum but with no funding and trying to get approved for Harvoni thru Trillium. I am going to call them tomorrow to see if this is true. I am a 2X non-responder.

http://forums.hepmag.com/index.php?topic=1830.0

I called and enrolled in the Gilead's Momentum Program to get Sovaldi [I have genotype 2]. For Harvoni or Sovaldi you just need a diagnosis and a prescription, and your last year's tax assessment to get assistance. Below is a an update regarding access to Harvoni in Canada.

To assist hepatitis C patients in Canada with access to Harvoni, Gilead Sciences Canada, Inc. has added the medicine to the Gilead Momentum Support Program, which provides an integrated offering of support services for patients and healthcare providers. The program provides access to dedicated case managers to help patients and their providers with insurance-related needs, including identifying their coverage options through either private insurance or publicly funded programs. In addition, the program provides financial assistance for eligible patients who need help paying for out-of-pocket medication costs. For more information regarding the Momentum Program in Canada, please call 1-855-447-7977. - See more at: http://www.gilead.com/news/press-releases/2014/10/health-canada-issues-notice-of-compliance-for-gileads-harvoni-ledipasvirsofosbuvir-the-first-oncedaily-single-tablet-regimen-for-the-treatment-of-genotype-1-chronic-hepatitis-c#sthash.jGp6akXX.dpuf



Last Edit: December 04, 2014, 02:28:57 PM by petra

I dont get why the hep c doctor at Mac Master says I am not eligible for the momentum programme i am making an appointment tomorow for a meeting with him ..I want ALL my information and want to know exactly WHY I dont qualify... IM angry... but I will be cool and there is another hepatologist in Hamilton that I can see maybe she will be able to help me better .I am feeling the sides so bad lately ..I just want to feel better Thanks Kramer ,dawter and harvonhank for all this info ..There IS a trial recruiting in TO.,it is fo geno 3's as well I am taking that in with me ..If the ODB will cover it in Feb 2015 I will be ok with that .

Hi dawter the EAP is for drugs not covered by the ODB .ODB is for people on welfare and ODSP only
If a drug is not available on ODB you can appeal to the EAP
..If you are not on assistance you have to apply through the Trillium foundation and they will cover drugs depending on your financial situation .. Hopefully this is right n you can google the EAP... hope this helps
..WE should be making a fuss here in Canada .I know a lady ..Brenda Peever who died in November who was not as advanced as I am ..she sent me a change .org and thats how I knew her ..We sent a petition to all those involved in healthcare in Ontario Provincial Parliament with 250,000 signatures on it !!
The problem is Harvoni will be covered for GENO 1's and still not geno 3 ..but they are waiting for coverage for solvaldi/riba soon I may be able to do that even tho I hate the thought of riba again .

Hi Jan,
I hope you can at least get Sol/Riba. It isn't the most pleasant & I think geno 3s go for 24 wks but I know a few geno 3s who have cleared with this. Riba without ifn is more tolerable but it certainly has some sides. I know someone in a US clinical trial of Harvoni for geno 3 but she got the riba arm & wasn't too happy about it. Clear at week 2 though. Hang in there & best wishes.

EAP is also for people who have Trillium Health Benefits. I have heard back unofficially from the Ministry that they will not cover Harvoni until it is approved for everyone but I will fight tooth and nail to get it.

I have/had geno 3a - I went 24 weeks on SOV/Riba and still 3 months after completing treatment, I just found out I still do NOT have the virus.
There is hope!! Even for geno 3's.....

You are getting a lot of good advice here.

I will do sol/riba ..absolutely .. I can do Inf I should be able to do it without the Inf this time ... the soc dint work by 12 weeks I had to come off because my blood counts were too low I nearly bled out ..The platelets etc went up for a while after treatment but now they are even lower than before I did the treatment ??? I hope it was the Inf that affected the blood counts so much not the riba or i dont know if I could do 24 weeks But Im sure gonna try I can hang on till feb 15 and Im gonna give every one hell till I get something ..Ive had ennough of all this .Thanks for all your help and support
.
Wishing a happy and healthy and Dragon free N
ew year to everyone LOL !!!!