With all the latest trial completed, the Sofosbuvir/Daclatasivir/Ribavirin combo is clocking 100% of the last 40 patients.  The Philadelphia GS7977 trials yielded a resounding 100%  SVR of the 40 souls on it. The Seattle, Houston and Denver trials were equally impressive. Obviously, there’s no need to follow VA’s suggestion that they include  placebo pills to half the volunteers to make sure no one was faking it. Vets do that a lot, you know.

Of more import, and to me especially, Genotype 3A (G3) is being eradicated as well. G3 is easier to kill with Interferon/Ribavirin and almost a guaranteed 83 % will go SVR (remission) on it. The Victrelis/Incivek regimens are even more effective but unfortunately they have a nasty, pronounced habit of killing the patient or making them blind and riddled with thyroid issues. If you are older like some of us Vietnam -Era Vets, it’s a death sentence. Try as I did, I couldn’t convince old WGM not to do it back in December 2012 and simply bide his time. He woke up in the hospital several days after his second dose and they’re still doing a Humpty Dumpty reconstruct on him to this day. Fortunately, he’s a charter member in the Win or Die Club, so he’s not liable to throw in the towel prematurely but he says it’s like getting drug through a knothole backwards.

Sofosbuvir/Daclatasvir appears as one exciting possibility from this article. Unfortunately, all is not well in Mudville. The problem is far worse than you can imagine this time. Gilead owns Sofosvuvir. Bristol Myers Squibb owns Daclatasvir.  Ne’er the twain shall meet. The two kids can’t play in the sandbox together so we all lose. It’s like a cure for cancer but one party is taking his toys home because he wants more money. We become the pawns in this war.

Gilead is working on Ledipasvir (GS-5885) as a replacement to Bristol’s Daclatasvir but this will only improve the bottom line on the Genotype 1 population cohort. G3 Heppers will get the short end of the stick when Gilead and Bristol discontinue the GS7977 two-drug cocktail trials. It never fails. Just when you can see the light at the end of the tunnel, they build two more miles onto it.

What Ledipasvir holds for G3 Hepatitis sufferers is an unknown. One thing is that it won’t be as successful as the Daclatasvir version. It seems a crime to have a cure for something at your fingertips and then stub your toe on pharmaceutical greed. Gee, it almost reminds me of filing claims with the VA – almost.