| |||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||
Tuesday, December 2, 2014
The Fix
Photo via
A study-in-progress reported on in the New England Journal of Medicine has recorded an incredible 97% cure rate by AbbVie’s new hepatitis C treatment regimen.
The breakthrough by AbbVie is significant as it helps a high-risk group that’s extremely vulnerable to the negative effects of the virus, the breakthrough by AbbVie is significant. In a mid-stage study of 34 patients, 33 were cured of the virus after 24 weeks of treatment. AbbVie’s experimental cocktail is a mix of ombitasvir, ritonavir, dasabuvir, ABT-450, and ribavirin, an antiviral drug used to supplement hepatitis C treatments. By discovering such an effective cocktail, the AbbVie researchers are following the course set by successful HIV maintenance regimens.
Liver transplant patients are particularly in need of new hepatitis C treatments with better cure rates and fewer side effects. According to the researchers, after patients receive donated liver, even if they have been cleared of the virus previously, their HCV infection tends to reappear in an even more virulent fashion.
Since more than 40% of the people on the U.S. liver transplant waiting list have hepatitis C, the potential financial benefits of such an effective regimen are obvious. AbbVie’s 2015 hepatitis C revenue is now estimated at $2.1 billion, if the drug is approved. Alex Arfaei, an analyst at BMO Capital Markets, wrote in a recent note to clients that, “We believe hep-C is the most important driver for AbbVie in 2015.”
Released at the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases conference in Boston, the AbbVie data also revealed cure rates as high as 100% in patients with genotype 4, a prevalent form of the virus in the Middle East and sub-Saharan Africa. Even more importantly for infected Americans, the results showed cure rates of over 90% for patients who were co-infected with HIV.
AbbVie expects its first hepatitis C treatment to be approved by the FDA as early as the end of 2014. Gilead’s ultra-expensive single pill solutions, like Harvoni and Sovaldi, have been tested in transplant patients as well, showing cure rates as high as 98% after 24 weeks of treatment. Analysts have said AbbVie’s regimen, which involves multiple pills, some taken twice a day, may deter patients.
Barry Bernstein, Vice President of Infectious Disease Development at AbbVie, disagreed with such projections. Despite the apparent Gilead success, Bernstein believes transplant patients and co-infected patients need a greater sense of certainty. “This is a highly-motivated patient population," Bernstein said. "With relatively short course therapies, there is limited, if any, impact.”
Help Advance the Addiction Profession!
Hi Joseph,
If you or your loved one struggled with addiction or substance abuse, what would you do? If you’re like most in our community, you go to a qualified addiction professional. Why? Because you know you’ll receive the absolute top-notch care and be treated like a real person by a dedicated, compassionate health professional.
Addiction professionals play a vital role in the lives of those suffering with addictions or substance use disorders. The NAADAC Education and Research Foundation (NERF) continuously strives to strengthen the health and vitality of individuals, families and communities through the advancement of the addiction profession and is funded primarily by contributions from individuals supporting our work. Through contributions from people like you, NAADAC is able to:
Provide professional development for addiction professionals through in-person and online trainings, webinars, credentialing, workshops, publications, and conferences;
Work towards for better wages, compensation, and benefits for addiction professionals, loan forgiveness, and the continued specialization of the addiction profession; and
Collaborate with state affiliates, federal agencies, and other groups to address the emerging issues regarding the Affordable Care Act, the new parity regulations, and requirements specific to electronic records.
Your gift supports our commitment and dedication to addiction professionals and the people they help, and allows NAADAC to continue its important role in sustaining quality health care services and protecting the well-being of the public.
Donating is easy! You can make your tax-deductible donation online, by phoning our office at 888.548.0497, or by sending a check made out to “NAADAC Education and Research Foundation” to NAADAC at 1001 N. Fairfax St., Ste 201, Alexandria VA 22314. Please consider making as generous a gift as you can!
As addiction care advances, NAADAC is committed to keeping addiction professionals at the cutting edge – for you, for your loved ones, for every person in the community. Please help to make this possible with your contribution.
Your donation will make a world of difference. I promise you.
Thank you so much for your help.
Sincerely,
Cynthia Moreno Tuohy, NCAC II, CCDC III, SAP
Executive Director
NAADAC, the Association of Addiction Professionals
|
|
Daily Quote
"Each person comes into this world with a specific destiny--he has something to fulfill, some message has to be delivered, some work has to be completed. You are not here accidentally--you are here meaningfully. There is a purpose behind you. The whole intends to do something through you." - Osho
Today's Online Meetings
AA Meeting - 8:00 pm CST: "12 Steps and 12 Tradiditons"
Guest Speaker - 1:00 pm CST: "Being Sober and Becoming Happy"
Copyright 2011 Community of Recovering People LLC
Privacy Policy
If you no longer wish to receive My Recovery emails, click here: Place my email on the "No eMail" list
The mission of the Addict's Mom is "Sharing Without Shame." We are mothers of addicts and we are NOT ashamed. Our children have a disease we hate, but we will forever love our child. To purchase your tee shirt go to
Wear it proudly with me....We must "Break the Stigma" and "Shatter the Shame."
Much love to all addict's moms and their families....TOGETHER OUR VOICES WILL BE HEARD
Visit The Addict's Mom at: http://addictsmom.com/?xg_source=msg_mes_network
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)