6 month blood test/Virus is back

[maleman4u2]

I finished my treatment in Sept 2014, just had my 6 month blood test, virus is back.
My GI said I was the first person of the 12 he has treated that the virus has come back. lucky me ...  He just called and told me the news, feeling very depressed right now.  He thinks I didn't respond to the Olysio, wants to try another 4 pill treatment.  I will call and make an appt to see him tomorrow.  Don't know if BC to give me another chance
to get cured. I did everything I was supposed to this really sucks..

[Mike]

Really sorry to hear this, Maleman4u2.

Talk to your GI tomorrow and review your options. There are several members who relapsed on Olysio and were approved for treatment with Harvoni.

Best wishes, Mike

[badbradley]

Hey maleman,
         Relapse sucks for a bit for sure. It gets better but it is maddening trying to pinpoint what happened when you've done everything by the book. I still beat myself up now and then wondering if there was some little thing I may have done to interfere with clearing. I treated on S/O for 12wks, ended Nov, UD at4 and 12wks,      Post treatment 12wks - Relapsed. I did not have a 4wk post test. 
      I am currently waiting approval for Harvoni/Riba 12wks but I'm not confident in the 12wk regimen just yet. You mentioned your GI is considering a 4 pill regimen If it's Viekira-Pak You cannot retreat with the drug Paritaprevir (protease inhibitor). It is one of the drugs in V-Pak.This is because you failed treatment with a regimen containing another protease inhibitor (simeprevir).
      I'm sorry to hear of your relapse, it will be a little tougher this week for sure but you've come to the right place. If you don't mind could you post your status?
Best of luck to you and we are in the best of times for getting cured,it will happen.
Brad
       

[maleman4u2]

Thanks Brad, if by status you mean my viral load it was 2 1/2 million, then UD, and again UD at at the  end of treatment.  My GI said it was 800,000 or so now.  I'm not sure what you mean about retreating.  He said he thought the Oylsio didn't  work but isn't sure.  So are you saying I will not be able to get  the Harvoni now?  Really I just want something to work.  B/C came thru fairly quickly last year for me.  Hopefully they will help me out again.    Thanks Mark

[badbradley]

I was curious to know your stats as far as geno type,  how long you've had the virus, first time treating (treatment naïve), how many weeks on treatment, do you have cirrhosis, what stage fibrosis, some choose to state their age. Their is a signature feature on your profile page, if you put that info in, it will appear at the bottom of each of your posts. See mine at bottom of post.
     As far as treating again, Havoni at this point is your only option. The AASLD recommendations for geno 1 who fail treatment containing the protease inhibitor Olysio (simeprevir) that are non cirrhotic should defer treatment pending further data, or get in a clinical trial. It is the Viekira-Pak that contains the protease inhibitor Paritaprevir which you cannot treat on.
     If you have Anthem BC/BS, you stand a better chance at getting approved.  Anthem chose Harvoni for their formulary, over-riding Express Scripts, who chose Viekira-Pak. Not every BC/BS plan is Anthem.  For me, I lucked out and happen to have Anthem but it will still be a matter of jumping through hoops for treatment but it seems if your persistent, you will get treated.
     Hope this helps. If you have more questions feel free to ask.
  Brad

[Lynn K]

Hi Maleman

I am genotype 1a with cirrhosis I was a null responder to 3 treatments with interferon based treatment.

I treated last year with sovaldi and olysio for 12 weeks March to June and was found to have relapsed in September 2014 at the 12 week post treatment viral load test.

My before treatment viral load was about 2 million and at 12 weeks post it was 2.4 million.

Later the FDA recommended patients with cirrhosis taking Sov/Oly should do 24 weeks.

I started Harvoni 22 weeks ago and later added Ribavirin When I finish treatment in 14 days I will have taken Harvoni for 24 weeks and Ribavirin for 15 weeks.

What were you taking with Olysio was it interferon shots and Ribavirin or was it with Sovaldi? I guess you are you genotype 1 since you treated with Olysio? Do you have any liver damage?

If you failed Olysio you can treat with Harvoni. But as Olysio has some medicines in common with  Viekira Pak you should not treat with Viekira because of cross resistance issues this is a 4 pill combo so this maybe what your doctor is thinking of. I would ask him about cross resistance between Olysio and the med he is considering.

Sorry to hear of your relapse if you could give us more information that will help us give you better answers. Is your doctor a hepatologist or a gastroenterologist?

Here is a link to the AASLD (American Association for the study of Liver Diseases)

RETREATMENT OF PERSONS IN WHOM PRIOR THERAPY HAS FAILED

http://www.hcvguidelines.org/full-report/retreatment-persons-whom-prior-therapy-has-failed

Good luck

[badbradley]

Maleman,

Here is a link you may find useful also.
http://depts.washington.edu/hepstudy/presentations/uploads/103/ledipasvir_sofosbuvir_master.pdf
Scroll down to Retreatment of Sofosbuvir Failure.
Conclusions:"Ledipasvir-sofosbuvir (Harvoni) plus ribavirin for 12 weeks was well tolerated and effective for retreatment of genotype 1 patients who previously failed sofosbuvir-based regimens." SVR12 was achieved in 98% patients, with the sole relapse occurring in a patient with genotype 3 infection who was enrolled erroneously.
NOTE: Previous treatments - Sofosbuvir + interferon/ribavirin or Sofosbuvir/ribavirin
That study was done on 51 patients. It was in phase 2.
Last updated: Jan. 20, 2015
Brad

[maleman4u2]

I just got off the phone with GI doc,  have an appt schd for May 11th, they will try to get me in sooner if possible.  I had a ruff night sleeping I really thought I had beat this thing.  I am very active exercise, 5K's, Mud Runs and yoga.  Hopefully they can figure this out and my insurance will do the right thing.  Just have to turn this thing over and not try to control my outcome.  Easier said than done, I'm a survivor things will turn out the way they are meant to be, whatever that may be.   
Thanks for the support, Mark

[chino1969]

I relapsed on Solvadi/Olysio last year.  I did a 12 week regimen was clear at 4 & 12 weeks.  Two months after EOT, the virus was back.  I'm now doing a 24 week regimen of Harvoni and into my 11th week.  I was SVR at 4 weeks and my 12 week blood work is coming up.  I'm cautiously optomistic.

[maleman4u2]

Thanks Chino,  my Dr called this morning and thats what he wants to do, 24 weeks of Harvoni.  Gotta wait and see how the insurance shakes out.  Good luck and I hope you beat this shit finally.  I feel better knowing thats what he wants to put me on this time.
Harvoni  is good stuff just wasn't around when i was put on S/O..

[chino1969]

maleman,
The insurance company initially turned down my approval for Harvoni but my Dr. appealed and we won.  Fight, if this happens to you.  Good luck.

[maleman4u2]

Chino, Dr called me this morning insurance approved me for 24 weeks of the Harvoni. Should be starting shortly, I am so grateful...  Hopefully we both can beat this thing this time.  Let me know how you are doing along the way.
Thanks Maleman

[Bob V]

maleman

Sorry about the non respond but good luck with Harvoni. My doc wanted to put me on S/O but I was not liking the side effects. Lucky for me Harvoni was approved around the same time.

Again good luck.