Thursday, December 5, 2013

Video - Dr. Joseph Galati talks about HCV drug OLYSIO (simeprevir)




Published on Dec 2, 2013
          
Dr. Joseph Galati with Liver Specialists of Texas, located in Houston, in this video talks about the new hepatitis C drugs that have been FDA approved. Dr. Galati has been treating patients with hepatitis C for over 20 years, and is involved in hepatitis C research.

This past week, the FDA gave approval to Janssen's new drug to treat hepatitis C. Simeprevir, commercially know as OLYSIO, is the first new hepatitis C drug since the release of telapravir (Incevik) and boceprevir (Victrelis) in 2011. Simeprevir is a NS3/4A protease inhibitor, used in combination with interferon and ribavirin.

The release of simeprevir marks the beginning of a new wave of direct acting antiviral agents against the hepatitis C virus. Additional drugs are set for FDA approval, including the Gilead drug sofosbuvir in early December 2013.

Most of the new hepatitis C drugs will have a number of features in common. These include:

Very high cure rate, in the 80-90% range -- lower in null and non-responders
Less side effects
Shorter duration of treatment
Less pills to take each day
Cirrhosis reduces response rates
Less drug-drug interactions
Genotype 1 subtype differences exist

Looking further, we will eventually have all interferon-free protocols. It is anticipated that as additional new drugs are approved, they will be combined (example sofosbuvir and simeprevir), allowing us to treat a wide range of patients, safely, and with a cure rate many of us may have never envisioned 20 years ago.

For a consultation to see if you are a candidate for these new drugs, contact Lexa at our office at 713-794-0700 and visit our webpage www.texasliver.com  for additional information.

Related-
Olysio (simeprevir) - Resistant Variant (Q80K)
 

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