geno 3a treatment??

[tkflex36]

If given a choice would you go with the standard 24 wks of sol+riba or would you consider a 12 wk course of the same meds plus interferon? Ive been denied twice by  my ins company for Sol/riba and once more on appeal. The specialty pharmacy is now trying to get me the drugs for free through "support path" I have the ii28b gene which i hear responds very well to interferon, but have also read all the horror stories regarding this . Ive been trying to get approval for these meds for the past 6 months, and am starting to lose hope, anyone who has info on support path or tx of geno 3a, i would love to hear from you.

[Mike]

Hi tkflex36,

I would sit down with your doctor and look at the numbers and which option gives you the best chance for a cure.

I've been on Interferon twice, and, while it is no walk in the park, 12 weeks is tolerable (I did 12 weeks of Sovaldi+Interferon+Ribavirin = cured). Also, Ribavirin has its side effects and is also not a walk in the park - especially 24 weeks of it.

If given the choice, and all things were equal, I would due the shorter 12 week protocol.

I was a GT 1a.

Best wishes, Mike

[lporterrn]

Speaking solely from my experience, which includes 48 weeks of PEG + rib and 12 weeks of Harvoni + ribavirin (plus an earlier 12 weeks of plain interferon), I'm with Mike. 1) I'd look at my chances, and I'd look at any other comorbidities I had (do you have an autoimmune disease, for instance), and if all thing were equal, I'd go for the shorter, albeit slightly more intense regimen. I'd also use Pegasys rather than PegIntron, as this med seems to be easier to take in the beginning.