Today, there are a huge number of different diseases that modern medicine is trying to fight. Every year, new medicines appear that can overcome the disease. Unfortunately, not all ailments are treatable. In order to identify the disease in time, you need to regularly visit qualified specialists, eat right, and also play sports.
Hepatitis C is a very dangerous viral disease that takes a large number of lives every year. Therefore, the search for new drugs that are more effective in combating this ailment does not stop. One of these is the drug "Ledipasvir", reviews of which in most cases are positive.
general information
Hepatitis C is a common disease that is very difficult to treat. If the patient is not prescribed timely treatment, then a fatal outcome is inevitable. Today, Interferon or Ribavirin is used to fight the virus, but these drugs do not bring the desired effect. Therefore, the world's leading pharmaceutical companies do not stop searching for a new medicine that would simplify treatment for hepatitis C. One of the modern medicines is Ledipasvir. India is a country of origin of this medicine.
Drug cost
Every year, more and more doctors use Ledipasvir to fight hepatitis C. Reviews about this drug in most cases are good. The only drawback is the too high cost of the medicine. The average person cannot afford to buy the drug for the full course of treatment.
At the same time, the manufacturer does not indicate the cost of the drug anywhere, but only compares the amount required for the entire rehabilitation course with the cost of a liver transplant. The latter, of course, will cost much more, because people prefer a medication.
In America, for one pill, you need to pay about 1,100 dollars. As for the full course of therapy, it will cost the patient an astonishing amount of $ 189,000. In Israel, where the medicine is very well developed, the cost of treating hepatitis C with the drug "Ledipasvir", reviews of which confirm its effectiveness, will cost less than in the United States. One pill of medicine there costs $ 1,070. At the same time, some pharmacies return 15% of the cost that falls on VAT.
Where could I buy?
Today, the acquisition of Ledipasvir (India is its direct supplier) is also available in Russia. This can be done through various Internet sites that carry out direct deliveries both with and without prepayment. Delivery in most cases takes about two weeks from the date of order, but such information is best to check with the seller.
Generics "Ledipasvira"
Ledipasvir, the price of which is quite high, in our country only the richest people can buy. The vast majority of patients with hepatitis C prefer to purchase generics, which in their composition are a complete copy of Ledipasvir. Thus, you can buy a medicine that has a similar effect and effectiveness, at a lower price.
These include:
- Ledihep is an Indian drug that shows good results in the fight against hepatitis C. In Europe, its cost is an average of 650 euros per package. When ordering from Russia directly from the manufacturer, a full course of treatment will cost $ 930.
- Hepcinate LP is another generic. One pack of 28 tablets costs 350 USD. For the full course you will have to pay 1050 dollars.
- Mayhep Lvir - one package of the drug costs $ 320.
- "Ledifos" - for 28 tablets you will have to pay $ 330.
When buying generic "Ledipasvir", the price of which is much lower, you should be very careful, carefully studying the instructions. Never purchase medications that are not accompanied by a certificate of quality. When choosing an online store, it is better to give preference to those that provide you to pay for the drug upon delivery. So you can not fall into the hands of scammers who, having taken money from a client, do not ultimately bring anything.
Ledipasvir: Description
The drug was developed by American specialists from the pharmaceutical company Gilead Sciences. The drug, about how to take Ledipasvir, will be described later, inhibits the replication processes of non-structural proteins, thereby inhibiting the spread of the virus in the body.
Hepatitis C virus has a very complex structure, which is why it is quite difficult to deal with it. With prolonged absence of treatment, the virus begins to mutate and produce new cells with other antigenic properties. This is the reason that the immune system is not able to kill the virus on its own. As long as antibodies develop in the body, the virus will reproduce new cells. Therefore, to combat hepatitis C, special medicines are used that block the mutation of the virus. One of these is the drug "Ledipasvir". Its main feature is that it is not an independent drug, therefore it cannot cure a patient from hepatitis C. It acts only as a blocker. Doctors prescribe it in conjunction with other drugs that kill the virus.
The most common combination used to fight the disease is Sofosbuvir and Ledipasvir, which are also used with Ribavirin. As clinical studies have shown, the use of these three drugs can completely cure a patient of hepatitis C in 12 weeks.
In turn, in order to reduce the cost of production, the pharmaceutical company Gilead Sciences has created and patented a modern drug, which is a combination of Sofosbuvir and Ledipasvir, called Harvoni. They decided to abandon the use of Ribavirin, since without it, the effectiveness of treatment is only 5% worse.
During clinical trials, no side effects were found in the vast majority of patients. Only a few patients experienced short-term migraines, drowsiness, and loss of strength. It is worth noting that when using the drug in conjunction with Ribavirin, there were significantly more side effects.
Features of the purpose of the drug
To date, one of the most effective drugs to combat hepatitis C is Ledipasvir. Treatment is prescribed to patients only after carrying out all the necessary studies that are needed to obtain a clinical picture of the patient and the appointment of an appropriate treatment program.
What tests are prescribed?
A comprehensive examination of the patient is mandatory. Soft tissues of the liver are taken for analysis or elastography is performed, which allows doctors to determine the structure of the organ and the level of damage to its tissues. An alternative option is a biochemical blood test, which allows not only to determine the degree of liver damage, but also the stage of development of the necro-inflammatory process.
During a comprehensive examination, patients are prescribed:
- blood tests: general, detailed and biochemical;
- genotype and subgenotype tests;
- determination of the number of virus cells in the blood;
- various liver tests;
- a blood test for the presence of cancer cells in it;
- studies of antigens in blood serum;
- tests for hormones and vitamins;
- ultrasound examination of internal organs and consultation with profiled specialists.
Only after the doctor has a detailed clinical picture of the patient’s condition, “Ledipasvir” can be prescribed, the side effects of which almost never occur.
Indications for use
Ledipasvir is prescribed to patients in the following cases:
- In the diagnosis of hepatitis C 1, 4, 5 and 6 genotypes.
- If the patient has HCV 1 and 4 genotype caused by HIV disease.
- If a large number of virus bodies are detected in the patient’s blood.
It is important to understand that Ledipasvir, the treatment of which is very effective, is prescribed only to adult patients. This is due to the fact that during clinical trials patients younger than 18 years of age did not participate.
Contraindications
The main contraindications for taking medications, which include Ledipasvir, are:
- If the patient has hepatitis C of two or more genotypes.
- The presence in the blood of HIV and any genotype of hepatitis C, except 1 and 4.
- Intolerance to any of the components that make up the drug.
- The presence of any inflammatory process, which is accompanied by degenerative changes in the soft tissues of the brain and a violation of its normal functioning.
- Diagnosis in a patient with hepatitis C ascites, which in most cases accompanies cirrhosis.
- The drug is not recommended for use during pregnancy.
Before starting treatment, the instruction "Ledipasvira" should be carefully studied. This will avoid many negative consequences, as well as achieve the most effective treatment.
In what cases is the drug prohibited?
It is forbidden to use the drug in the following cases:
- Harvoni cannot be combined with Phenytoin, Tenofovir, Tipranavir, Emtricitabine, St. John's wort, Elvitegravir, Rosuvastatin.
- The medicine "Ledipasvir" is not recommended to be taken during pregnancy, at the stage of planning the conception of a child, as well as during breastfeeding.
- In addition, it is better to refuse to take it to those patients who have kidney or liver failure.
Regardless of whether you have any of the above or not, taking drugs containing Ledipasvir in your composition should be taken exclusively under the strict supervision of a specialist.
How to take the drug?
In order for hepatitis C to be easily treated, the dosage indicated in the instructions for the medication should be adhered to. One tablet contains: ledipasvir 90 mg and sofosbuvir 400 mg. These components are active, and it is they who are responsible for blocking the mutation and activity of the virus, as well as fighting it. In addition to them, some additional components are present in the composition of the drug.
Tablets are taken in the amount of one piece per day, regardless of the meal. However, to reduce the likelihood of side effects, it is not recommended to take the medicine on an empty stomach. The duration of the drug is determined by the doctor, but the course of treatment takes at least 12 weeks. If hepatitis C has managed to develop into a more severe form, then therapy can be extended to 24 weeks. If during the administration of Ledipasvir no changes in the patient’s condition are detected, then the medicine will most likely be canceled.
Do not forget that the reception of "Harvoni" and its generics should be carried out only after a careful study of the instructions "Ledipasvira".
Customer reviews about the drug
Apart from consumer dissatisfaction with the too high cost of Ledipasvir, the reviews about the drug in most cases are only positive. Nevertheless, due to the presence of generics, dissatisfied with the high price is not so much.
Many patients who have experienced hepatitis C have reported high efficacy. In most cases, treatment with Ledipasvir is going well, and doctors are able to completely cure this terrible ailment. When using the generics of this drug, a full course of treatment will cost patients about one thousand dollars.
Finally
Hepatitis C is one of the worst viral diseases that take many lives. That is why its diagnosis in patients sounds like a sentence. Over a fairly long period of time, the fight against hepatitis C has been a very difficult task. This is due to the fact that the virus constantly mutates, and it is very difficult to suppress its progression in the body. But medicine does not stand still, and leading experts in the field of pharmacology are constantly developing new drugs that will show greater effectiveness in the treatment of this ailment. One of these drugs is Ledipasvir, consumer reviews of which are mostly laudatory.
This medicine gave hope to hundreds of thousands of hepatitis C patients around the world and made it possible to quickly and without any consequences relieve people infected with hepatitis C from the disease. As for the high cost, it is important to understand that any effective drugs are not cheap, and saving on yourself can end very badly. Always look after your health, because life is given only once, so you need to live it beautifully and in pleasure.