Viekira patient assistance program - your experience?

[Ian]

Hello,
Curious to hear about anyone's experience who was approved and now going through the process with the Vieira patient assistance program through Proceed.

After you're approved and get the drugs, do you have to do a drug screen prior to beginning?

How are your side effects? Issues concentrating?

Did you tell your employer?

Is this for real? It seems too good to be true which makes me wonder if you get approved, if there's a risk they might pull treatment halfway through for some technicality.

Thanks!
Ian

Genotype 1a
Stage 0 fibrosis

[Cal]

Sorry Ian,
I'm on Viekira but I'm in Australia so have absolutely no idea.. Hopefully someone will come along with some knowledge for you. Best of luck. I hope all goes well. Cal 

[edman300]

Hi
im on viekira pak and starting wk 9 of 12. I didn't have to do anything. I agree with you, it seems too good to be true, but proceed paid $4000.00 deductible I had left( and it was as tho I paid it cause my total out of pocket was met and now for the rest of the year my medical costs are free.) and blue cross paid the rest. Proceed and viekira pak people have been amazing. No drug screen for me , and there is some mental fogness associated but not terrible.  My side effects have been minor headache, severe fatigue tho, and bad muscle aches in my hip area, but my 6 wk viral load is UNDETECTED and I am excited about that. If the hepc goes away it will all have been worth it. I don't know if you did interferon and riba but this is a walk in the park compared to that. Good luck to you and God bless,
edman

[Ian]

Very glad to hear you are undetected! I'm now finishing up week 2 of Viekira with no Reba. I am 1a but chose not to take the ribavirin because of concern over side effects and birth defects. I have had relatively mild side effects. I definitely feel less brain power, more tired, and mild headaches here and there but it is much milder than I expected. I am extremely grateful for Abbvie making this happen. I hear a lot of resentment toward the drug companies, which I believe is generally warranted, but we do have to consider the upside of these company's getting rich - the profit incentive is what makes drugs like these a reality. If there weren't an enormous profit incentive, I doubt treatments for illnesses like this would be very high on the priority list. And while there may be some strategic motivation for abbvie giving free drugs, it's still a good thing to do - and if you do good things, regardless of motivation, you have to get credit for it.

Good luck finishing the treatment and getting svr!
Ian

[edman300]

Thx  You will slay your dragon too. Just curious as to why you weren't given harvoni.  I thought type 1a was usually given harvoni. I have 1b

[Ian]

Hi Edman,
Yes, my doctor originally prescribed Harvoni but I was declined by my insurance as United Healthcare is currently only covering it for people with stage 3 fibrosis. My doctor told me that with my stage 0 fibrosis my chances were very slim of getting any treatment covered but they decided to try applying for the Viekira Patient Assistance Program just in case. I was astonished and extremely grateful that AbbVie/Proceed approved me. It has really shown me how your choice of doctor and choice of clinic are very important - the previous clinic I was going to was somewhat passive and didn't have that "explore all avenues" approach, so I moved to a Gastro focused clinic and they have really gone the extra mile in every respect. I'm sure that if I had stayed at my old clinic they would never have made the effort to try to get me the Viekira, they would have just assumed I wouldn't be approved.

Best,
Ian

[edman300]

Viekira pak has worked for me.  6 and 10 wk blood work showed virus not detected.  Only 2 more days on meds for me.  I'm very thankful to God and abbvie/ proceed for making this medicine available.  I'm very confident that you will have the same results.  It's going to be amazing to finally get some more energy.