from the article linked:

"Johnson & Johnson is asking for approval of the drug in combination with pegylated interferon and ribavirin."

ummmmm -- no, thanks. Who wants THIS? Have to take it with InterFEARon? Riba is bad enough (not that I've done it, but we know...), but what are they thinking? We heppers know that an all oral is going to be available for us in the near future, whatever that may be, but it's gotta happen by late 2014, I'd guess (for Gen 1's - earlier for other Gens).

No thanks is right cat!!! The 3 drugs I just did? I really can't
believe I did it. I was so nave!! My wife was as well!! We
didn't do our homework worrying about other family members.
My final blood work is Friday. I'm done!!!

"That which does not kill me makes me stronger" - you are proof of that, Oz-man. I know you had to wonder if God had and has given you more than you can handle - but he didn't - you're about to be done with tx - hell, you really are done - one more day - a drop in the ocean. I know how much your family means to you, and don't worry, crazy one - they are as devoted to you as you are to them. You brought up a really good point - again, speaking as someone who hasn't done tx, but I've read so much here - and there - and I know my own personal situation with my husband and how hard it is for him to deal with me having HCV and being tired all the time, etc. - like all serious diseases, HCV affects the victim's entire family. It's hard for them to see us suffer, and sometimes they react in ways that hurt us - but, in truth, they are trying to cope too. In the end, we can be thankful that/IF they are still with us. Yours are - closer than ever. I am sorry you had to go through this tx, Oz. But if it cured you, which it has, I just know it, it was worth it. YOU ROCK!

The author of this article is total MORON!!! I mean just read what this clown wrote:

"Hepatitis C is a slow-developing disease, so there's no immediate rush to treat newly diagnosed patients as witnessed by the drop off in sales of Vertex Pharmaceuticals' (NASDAQ: VRTX ) Incivek.

In the first quarter, sales of the drug, which also has to be used in combination with pegylated interferon, fell 42% year over year. It's hard to see how simeprevir plus pegylated interferon would make inroads with doctors with all-oral hepatitis C combinations in the works."

It's obvious this author doesn't have a clue as to why sales for vertex has dropped off so much and the fact that he wrote that he thinks sakes for both new drugs will be far less than projected!!! What a PHUCKIN idiot!!!

"Likewise, it's hard to see initial blustery sales for Gilead's sofosbuvir, which will be used in combination with pegylated interferon and ribavirin in genotype 1 patients, the most common hepatitis C genotype in the U.S.

For both drugs, the approvals are just a means to the end -- the end being part of an all-oral drug cocktail. Interestingly, sofosbuvir and simeprevir worked really well together without pegylated interferon in a small clinical trial.

Once they're both approved, doctors could prescribe a combination of the two drugs off label to patients, but given the aforementioned slowly developing nature of the disease, it seems unlikely that they'd go that route without extra data.

Depending on how Gilead and Johnson & Johnson price their drugs, there could be a cost issue as well; insurers may be unwilling to reimburse for the two drugs off label."

Judging from what this jerk wrote above, I don't have any faith in one word he wrote in this article because he obviously lacks any knowledge of how the FDA works and what a Priority Review is or how long it will take for approval once it designated as such...

What a PHUCKIN ASSHOLE!!! Whoever is depending on this schmuck's advice & counsel to invest their money with should fire the jerk on the spot just from what he writes in this article.

Respectfully, (For the most part yet none to this author!)
HANK

Whoops! Instead of "sakes' I meant to write sales...

Doesn't this schmuck know that the Dr.s can work around the mandatory Interferon?Riba requirement by prescribing such a low dose to the patient and only for a very short period of time if indeed be necessary once the patient becomes SVR???

Or to avoid it all together with the explanation that the patient needed to be on the orals first before starting them on the IFN.

It's obvious that he doesn't!!! Too many ways to get around the Ifn/Riba requirement is what my Dr. told me and he isn't alone in these workarounds!

Respectfully,
HANK

Me too Hank, I had to laugh. The author must have been mandated to cover a news release that he had no understanding of.

But anywho, I'm enjoying my track-side seat @ the races. Like CatM, waiting for fear free. And I do believe cirrhotics will be a priority for treatment because it will be more cost effective than treating further progression of the disease.

I start a clinical trial in two weeks on gilead sofobuvir and gs 5885...8 weeks or 12 weeks.. or 8 weeks with Rivavarin added. It look like a 100% cure rate for hep c type 1. It's given in one pill.....amazing. I one gets assinged to the ribavarin, it's a second med in addition to the one pill. I'm hoping for the treatment without riba.

The future looks good for us hep c folks now..

I'm very envious of you johnlad ..you are a lucky guy to get on that trial!
You will do well :^)

please johnlad keep us updated

Jonlad I started the exact trial two weeks ago. I was put on the 24 week arm without Riba. That's exactly the one I was hoping for. No worries if you get this arm no sides whatsoever!, at least for me so far. Haven't received and vl numbers yet, I asked that they not tell me until 4 weeks in don't want to get my hopes up until after a month. Hoping you get the arm of the study your looking for.

So Johnlad....I am confused....do you know yet or not if your getting ribavirin?? I thought you do not know this until you get accepted and then they spin the dial and you get offered what the computer comes up with. Are they telling you are getting the ribavian?

thanks