Biotech Values

[tinkershaw]

If I had HCV and I knew about telaprevir then why the heck (absent absolute medical necessity) would I not wait for telaprevir to be approved. It dramatically increases your chance for a cure, it may reduce the duration of your treatment, and if your treatment fails, you may become immune to telaprevir.

In regard to the Hippocratic oath, do no harm, it is blatant unethical to deny patients telaprevir at this time. At least those who cannot wait for treatment. Do no harm. Patients who fail treatment may actually be doing harm to themselves with treatment with telaprevir or with boceprevir could have otherwise cured them.

I have not run the numbers, but a material percentage of patients now being treated but who failed will become immune to future treatment, even telaprevir.

It is ridiculous the FDA has not approved the drug, at least conditionally. Just plain ridiculous and harmful.

But, original point, maybe a lot of patients and doctors are taking the rational and expected course of action in anticipation of telaprevir and yes, even boceprevir.

Tinker