If you
were prescribed or are currently taking treatments Viekira or Technivie for
Hepatitis C, you should be aware of new information that suggests severe liver
conditions can be aggravated by these medications.
The majority of people who have this strain of the disease are generally able to be cured, and both types of medication are used to treat those with chronic Hep C. Both medications can be used in conjunction with ribavirin, and doctors have seen a significant success rate (up to 100%) when used appropriately. These drugs are manufactured by AbbVie Inc, a pharmaceutical company based in Illinois. Both are extremely similar in terms of chemical make-up which is why they have both fallen under scrutiny for their potentially deadly side effects. There are currently no generics offered for either of these treatments as they were only recently approved for public use.
These drugs are not being pulled off the market, meaning that it has been shown to treat Hepatitis C as predicted for the vast majority of patients. However, if doctors are being given incomplete information or simply aren't taking the time to read and understand the full weight of their actions, then there is some cause for concern. Clearly the FDA feels this way as well, and Abbvie is now required to add an item under the official Warnings section to fully inform both professionals and recipients alike. The negative effects of the drugs generally happened between 1 to 4 weeks of the start of the treatment. Based on the reporting methods with which the FDA became alerted of these problems, there are likely to be other cases out there which have gone under the radar.
Should you determine that this product has put you at risk based on warnings that were never fully disclosed prior to the release, then you may need to consult a lawyer. These medications could have put a much larger percentage of people in harm's way, based on the evidence that was provided to the FDA in the months after Technivie and Viekira were made available to the public. Doctors are advised to give careful attention to those in the early stages, or face the possibility of malpractice. A qualified lawyer can help you to determine whether or not you have a valid case so you or your loved one can receive restitution for the potential damages caused by either therapy.
The majority of people who have this strain of the disease are generally able to be cured, and both types of medication are used to treat those with chronic Hep C. Both medications can be used in conjunction with ribavirin, and doctors have seen a significant success rate (up to 100%) when used appropriately. These drugs are manufactured by AbbVie Inc, a pharmaceutical company based in Illinois. Both are extremely similar in terms of chemical make-up which is why they have both fallen under scrutiny for their potentially deadly side effects. There are currently no generics offered for either of these treatments as they were only recently approved for public use.
Are Viekira and Technivie Safe?
It takes a lot of testing before the FDA approves any medication as they want to make sure that they do their homework before they sanction the many drugs and therapies that are under their jurisdiction. The public depends on them to do the research that they are not capable of performing. Technivie and Viekira have had less than a year on the market when they began to show what long-term treatment would mean for those with specific simultaneous conditions. Since then they've seen 26 reported cases that could have possibly been linked to the administering of these products. Typically, the troublesome results were seen with those who already had some sort of underlying liver failure (e.g., cirrhosis) when contracting hepatitis C. It appears that several of these patients were prescribed the medication against regulations based on other medications they were taking at the time or the overall severity of their health problems. While this occurred in the minority of patients, it doesn't bode well for a treatment meant to help those with liver problems, not make them worse. Several of these cases resulted in transplants or even death.These drugs are not being pulled off the market, meaning that it has been shown to treat Hepatitis C as predicted for the vast majority of patients. However, if doctors are being given incomplete information or simply aren't taking the time to read and understand the full weight of their actions, then there is some cause for concern. Clearly the FDA feels this way as well, and Abbvie is now required to add an item under the official Warnings section to fully inform both professionals and recipients alike. The negative effects of the drugs generally happened between 1 to 4 weeks of the start of the treatment. Based on the reporting methods with which the FDA became alerted of these problems, there are likely to be other cases out there which have gone under the radar.
What Are the Possible Side Effects of Viekira and Technivie?
If you or someone you know has been prescribed this medication, then there needs to be constant monitoring during the initial phase of treatment. Nausea, yellow skin or eye color, fatigue, abdominal swelling, excess bile or light-colored stools could all be possible signs of liver failure. If you've noticed any of these things, even in small amounts, talk to a healthcare professional as soon as possible about whether or not you should discontinue the use of the product. The reports indicate that it may not take long to start experiencing the more serious negative effects of the drugs. You should not stop taking this medication on your own though, as you risk becoming immune to other liver treatments in the future.Should you determine that this product has put you at risk based on warnings that were never fully disclosed prior to the release, then you may need to consult a lawyer. These medications could have put a much larger percentage of people in harm's way, based on the evidence that was provided to the FDA in the months after Technivie and Viekira were made available to the public. Doctors are advised to give careful attention to those in the early stages, or face the possibility of malpractice. A qualified lawyer can help you to determine whether or not you have a valid case so you or your loved one can receive restitution for the potential damages caused by either therapy.