The Efficiency of Ledipasvir and Sofosbuvir for Chronic Hepatitis C

I know the title with big words can get people a bit confused, but we will go through it and by the end of
reading it won’t be confusing anymore. Ledipasvir and sofosbuvir is a treatment used for hepatitis c sold
under the name harvoni among others. These drugs are co-formulated into one tablet. Ledipasvir and
sofosbuvir (harvoni) prescribed to be taken once a day with or without food.

Hepatitis is a disease of the liver which is brought by a virus. It has about six different strains, which are
well known as genotypes. Harvoni is a medicine which is a direct-acting antiviral (DAA) which means it
directly blocks the ability of hep c virus to make copies of itself. This treatment can cure someone with
hepatitis c. however, one can still be infected again.

Treatment of chronic hepatitis c

Chronic hepatitis c occurs primarily to patients with cirrhoses, it is associated with an increased danger
of hepatocellular carcinoma. It is the most common blood-borne infections, which accounts for 40% of
all chronic liver diseases.
Treatment is different for everyone depending on which type you have. The approved treatments by the
FDA include:

Daclatasvir

It is sold under the name of Virodacla and is a medicine used with the combination of other medicines to
cure hepatitis c.

Elebasvir grazoprevir

This is a fixed dose two drugs combination to treat chronic hepatitis C.

Interferon alpha 2b

It is an antineoplastic or antiviral drug used for a wide range of indications, including cancers and viral
infections

Boceprevir

This is a protease inhibitor which is used to treat hepatitis caused by the hepatitis C virus genotype 1. It
connects to the HCV nonstructural protein 3 active site.

Ribavirin

Ribavirin is also known as tribavirin. It is an antiviral medication used to treat hepatitis c where it is
combined with other medications like peg interferon Alfa 2b. it also treats RSV infections and viral
hemorrhagic fever

Sofosbuvir

It is sold under the name of Hopetavir and is a medicine used to stops the production of new Hep C virus
by interfering with the reproduction of the virus’s genetic tissue.

Peginterferon alfa 2a

It sold under the name pegasys, a medication used in the treatment of hepatitis C and hepatitis B
Ombistavir, paritaprevir, dasabuvir.

It is sold under the name viekira. It is also among the medicine used to treat hepatitis C.

The treatments of hepatitis c careening very fast. Treatment will depend on which hepatitis c virus one
has. Ask your doctor which treatment is best for you.

What are ledipasvir and sofosbuvir?

Ledipasvir is one of the DAA found in harvoni. Its purpose is to interfere with a protein required to
complete the Hep C virus cycle in the human liver cell. Sofosbuvir is the other DAA found in Harvoni.
Sofosbuvir stops the production of new Hep C virus by interfering with the reproduction of the virus’s
genetic tissue.

Ledipasvir and sofosbuvir mechanism of action

Ledipasvir inhibits a very important viral phosphoprotein called NS5A, which is involved in viral
replication, assembly, and secretion. On the other hand, sofosbuvir is metabolized to a uridine
triphosphate mimics which acts as an RNA chain terminator when incorporated into RNA by the NS5B
polymerase.

Ledipasvir and sofosbuvir success rate

Among people with hepatitis c virus with an oral combination therapy of sofosbuvir and ledipasvir boast
a 100 percent cure rate. The research was done and the researchers gave the treatment to 25 people
with Hep C, who have never taken the treatment and nine who had failed treatment previously, all of
them with the genotype one which is difficult to treat. By the end of the treatment, the entire
participant had a fully suppressed viral load, 100% of the group maintained a sustainable virologic
response the treatment was safe and well tolerated.

Ledipasvir and sofosbuvir side effects

In most cases, the sides effects are moderated or mild. The most common sides effects of ledipasvir and
sofosbuvir are;

Fatigue

Headache

Nausea

Diarrhea

A high amount of bilirubin in the blood

Insomnia

Weakness

How to take ledipasvir and sofosbuvir tablets

It is important to note that the medication has to been prescribed by the doctor. Ask the doctor
anything that you don’t understand, and also make sure to read the direction carefully which are found
on your prescription label. The tablet is taken by mouth and should be taken once around the same time
of the day with or without food.

How long to take the treatment

The duration of the treatment depends on the past treatments experience, absence or presence of
severe liver injuries or the viral genotype. It is essential to speak about this with your doctor. People
who have never gotten the treatment before, who have a Hep C below six million IU/ml and those who
do not have cirrhosis may be allowed for eight weeks of treatment. Generally, the treatment lasts for
twelve to twenty-four weeks.

Ledipasvir and sofosbuvir dosage

It is true to say to that all medications work best when they are taken exactly as prescribed and directed.
Ensure that you are taking medication in the right amount and at the right time for the entire length of
time that your treatment last.
One should follow the dosage they have been prescribed e.g

Testing of all patients with HBV infection by measuring HBsAg and anti-HBc

For adults recommendation and periodic dosage should be one tablet (90mg ledipasvir and 400mg of
sofosbuvir) taken orally once with or without food.

For adults and pediatric patients with HCV/HIV=1 confection follow the dosage given

If you are using with a combination with ribavirin, you should follow the recommendations for ribavirin
dosing and dosage modification.

Recommended adult treatment regimen and duration.

A dosage recommendation should not be made for patients with severe renal impairment or end-stage
renal disease.

In a case where you forget to take the medication and its within 18 hours of when you were supposed to
take it, you should take it as soon as possible. It is after 18 hours, do not take the medication wait until
the next dosage. Do not take a dose twice.

Where to buy ledipasvir and sofosbuvir

You can get the medicine from hospitals you have been treated from, of which in most cases it is usually
costly there. Other people prefer buying it online or importing it from other countries which might be
cheaper. Many people are not able to access treatment because of lack of sufficiency, advanced liver
disease or because the drugs are considered to be too expensive. If these people can afford it, there is
the alternative of buying the drugs themselves, generally the cheaper generic version.

Before buying them you need to know certain things and follow them like:

Do not prescribe yourself

You require an experienced doctor to advise you

Importance of being monitored during treatment

Is it legal to import drugs yourself?

How to buy the drugs online and safely

It is advisable to consult your doctor before buying the drugs yourself.

Ledipasvir and sofosbuvir cost

The biggest question that many people ask is” how much does ledipasvir/sofosbuvir cost?” Well, it is
one of the most expensive drugs in the world. For a period of 12-week treatment, the price tag is 94,500
dollars. These are the prices for ledipasvir/sofosbuvir cost across the world

Bangladesh (1,000 dollars)

The UK (39,000 Euros)

Germany (48,000 pounds)

Egypt(1200 dollars)

The Us(94,000 dollars)

Twinvir as an alternative for hepatitis c medicine of harvoni

Twinvir is one of the best selling generic medication in the world which is produced by Incepta
Pharmaceuticals. It is made up of 400 mg of sofosbuvir and 90 mg of ledipasvir.

Twinvir becomes accessible to the patients who needed it. The best thing about twinvir is that its
cheaper than harvoni but has the same effectiveness.

Twinvir cost
Unlike harvoni twinvir is pocket-friendly and many people opt to go for it because it costs 1000 dollars
compared to harvoni which is 9400 dollar. That is a huge difference considering they have the same
effectiveness.

Final Thought
It is essential for people using harvoni to take it exactly as prescribed. If you skip or miss a dosage
harvoni could fall too low levels in the body. This can make the Hep C Virus mutate and can allow it to be
able to resist the effect of the treatment. Before taking the treatment it is vital for you to let the doctor
know if you are pregnant, have other liver problems apart from hepatitis c, if you are co-infected with
hepatitis B and if you have severe kidney impairment or are on dialysis. Never give harvoni to other
people even if they show the same symptoms you have. Also never use it for a condition that was not
prescribed. In case you get stuck you can ask for the information you need from your doctor.

Reference
https://www.catie.ca/en/fact-sheets/hepatitis/harvoni-ledipasvir-sofosbuvir

https://aidsinfo.nih.gov/drugs/542/ledipasvir-sofosbuvir/181/professional

https://www.quora.com/How-much-does-Harvoni-ledipasvir-sofosbuvir-cos