One of the analogues of the antiviral drug called Harvoni is the modern medicine Ledifos Hetero. This drug was created for those people infected with viral hepatitis C. Before releasing serial Ledifos tablets, its manufacturers conducted many different clinical studies that made it possible to verify the effectiveness and feasibility of using the drug as an alternative means of their prototype. This article will talk about the use, contraindications, effectiveness and reviews of Ledifos. What should the patient know about this drug? Let's figure it out together.
Indications
At various stages of the genotype C1 or C4 hepatitis disease, patients are prescribed a drug called Ledifos (Ledifos), consisting of ledipasvir and sofosbuvir. The drug is also used in the treatment of cirrhosis. Ledipasvir contained in the product stops the spread of the disease and prevents the infection of healthy cells in the body. Ledifos from India should only be purchased with the advice of a physician. To select analogues, you should also contact an infectious disease specialist.
Description, release form and composition
Ledifos is the official Harvoni generic drug. It is an inhibitor of specific proteases involved in the biochemical process of viral RNA doubling. This effect is due to the components of Ledifos. The composition of the drug includes a dosage of 400 mg sofosbuvir and 90 mg of ledipasvir.
The drug is available in the form of tablets. All Ledifos tablets are marked Nl18. This allows you to distinguish a fake from a quality original drug. The drug package contains 28 active tablets, which are coated with a glossy coating. The manufacturer "Ledifos" is Hetero, which is located in India. Currently, the company is a leader in the production of effective and not too expensive drugs to combat a variety of hepatitis C virus genotypes.
Drug action
Ledipasvir and sofosbuvir, being the active components of Ledifos tablets, block the enzymes that cause the development and reproduction of the hepatitis C virus when they enter the body. Clinical trials were conducted in which more than 1,500 people participated. 95% of the subjects fully recovered after 8 weeks, receiving a stable immune response. In 97% of people, positive results were recorded 12 weeks after the start of treatment. A stable virological response was observed after 12 weeks of therapy in 99% of patients with cirrhosis. With and without cirrhosis, the effect was achieved in 95% of people after the same period of time. With the help of the study, it was found that the combination of ledipasvir and sofosbuvir without the use of ribavirin perfectly copes with the hepatitis C virus of the first genotype.
Indications for use
The drug Ledifos is a ready-made working combination that allows you to effectively deal with the causative agents of chronic hepatitis C (C1 and C4 genotype). The correct combination of active substances in the drug helps to avoid the use of ribavirin and alpha-peginterferon.
Ledifos is indicated for the treatment of chronic viral hepatitis C in patients with and without liver cirrhosis. Ledifos is used according to the instructions. The drug is suitable for patients who are undergoing therapy for the first time, as well as for patients who have not brought the expected effect to the treatment of hepatitis C with ribavirin and interferon. The drug is indicated and with intolerance to these drugs.
Contraindications
In which cases you can not use Ledifos? Contraindications are listed below:
- Children under 18 years of age (the reaction to the drug in childhood has not been studied).
- The presence of an allergic reaction to one of the substances included in the drug.
- It is forbidden to take funds with tenofovir, elvitegravir, emtricitabine.
- You can not take the drug during pregnancy and the period of breastfeeding.
- The simultaneous use of another medicine that contains sofosbuvir is prohibited, since it is possible to increase side effects and overdose.
- Do not use "Ledifos" in conjunction with rifampin, carbamazepine, phenytoin, St. John's wort, tipranavir and rosuvastatin, as they reduce the effectiveness of the use of Ledifos.
- With caution, you should take the drug for hepatic or renal failure.
- The medication must be taken under the supervision of a physician.
- Ledifos is not compatible with alcohol.
When using Ledifos women should not forget about reliable contraceptives. The drug negatively affects the development of the fetus and is not recommended when planning pregnancy. The effect of this drug on pregnant women has not yet been fully studied. It is worth abandoning breastfeeding for the period of therapy, since the drug passes into milk. It is recommended to transfer the baby to an artificial mixture until the completion of the course of treatment.
The effect of the drug on the child’s body has not been studied, so it is not prescribed for children.
If severe side effects or an allergic reaction occur with the use of the drug, the treatment course must be immediately interrupted. You should inform your doctor about the use of other medicines - Ledifos is far from compatible with all medicines.
Side effects
Generic Ledifos is well tolerated and rarely causes unwanted reactions. In some cases, against the background of the use of the drug, side effects such as:
- Fatigue and fatigue.
- Headache and dizziness.
- Apathy.
- Severe skin allergic reactions.
It is necessary to carefully listen to your feelings during the first dose of the drug. If you experience severe shortness of breath, swelling of the tongue, lips, face, and severe itching, you should stop taking the drug and immediately consult a doctor.
The patient immediately after the first dose of the drug feels a slight malaise, lethargy and headache. After adapting to the drug, these symptoms will disappear. It is important to complete the treatment.
The number of side effects increases when using the drug together with the drug "Ribavirin".
"Ledifos" is approved for use in patients with cirrhosis, but therapy should be carried out with extreme caution. Typically, the drug is well tolerated and significantly increases the chances of a full recovery.
Ledifos application: instruction
"Ledifos" is used strictly according to the scheme recommended by the doctor. The drug must be taken once a day on a tablet, washed down with water. It is not recommended to drink the medicine with tea, fruit juice or coffee. Pills should be taken at a strictly defined time, so that the active components of the drug are evenly distributed throughout the body.
The duration of treatment with the drug is 12 weeks in the absence of signs of liver fibrosis or fatty hepatitis. The course of therapy lasts up to 24 weeks with a compensated form of cirrhosis. A similar scheme is used with simultaneous infection with viral hepatitis C and HIV infection.
Exact recommendations on the dosage, frequency of taking the tablets and the duration of therapy can be obtained from your doctor.
Ledifos: analogues
The drug Ledifos has a small list of analogues that have a similar mechanism of action with this drug. The following drugs are allocated:
- Viropack Plus.
- "Heterosophyr".
- Alpha Paginterferon.
- "Hepcinate LP".
The most popular of these is “Hepcinate LP”, as it is a structural generic of the original Harvoni remedy.
How much is?
The price of Ledifos from India is from $ 430 to $ 550 per pack, which contains 28 tablets. The original Harvoni product costs $ 22,500 per package. This significant difference in price of Ledifos and Harvoni explains the increase in demand for analogues of antiviral drugs for the treatment of hepatitis C.
In Russia, there are a large number of official intermediaries who sell this product through pharmacies and online stores, so the drug "Ledifos" is not too difficult to purchase.
Ledifos reviews from doctors and patients
Indian “Ledifos” has gained a reputation as a highly effective antiviral drug from the very beginning of its release. If you believe the reviews about Ledifos, this drug makes it possible to completely get rid of hepatitis C. Some patients initially underwent treatment with Ribavirin and Interferon, but the therapy was unsuccessful. And only treatment with Ledifos, according to reviews, helped them completely get rid of the disease.