I presume that in other parts of the forum similar topics have been described by other Hep C patients, yet I post this message because I find quite awkward the current status quo of the legal environment for the HCV drugs from many countries when dealing with the branded vs generic medication.

I just reviewed the press releases and announcements published on the Romanian National Agency for drugs (or shortly ANMDM, a kind of Australian TGA) and I extracted the following data which places every patient in front of a dilemma:
“Be crazy and risk to be cured” or “be wise and safely wait to die”

1) 16.05.2016 – Press release from ANMDM (http://www.anm.ro/anmdm/med.html )
No medicinal product may be placed on the market in Romania without a marketing authorization issued by ANMDM, in accordance with the provisions of this title, or without an authorization issued under the centralized procedure.
ANMDMIt also reiterates call the to the Romanian patients, to the general public, to not purchase medicines via the Internet, given the major risk of buying a counterfeit product.
ANMDM recommends to all people suffering from a condition, requiring treatment, to consult a health professional and buy products only from authorized units.

2) 12.05.2016 – Announcement from ANMDM (http://www.anm.ro/anmdm/_/anunt%20_reactie%20declaratii%20din%20presa.pdf )
….. ANMDM lead an equidistant policy of the generic drug and the original……
Under the legislation in force, generics can enter the pharmaceutical market only after 10, maximum 11 years after initial authorization of the original product in question.

So …. what does this mean for a normal patient with HCV ( which is no Pamela Anderson, nor is having 90 000$ to get a branded drug) ?

Option 1 – be “crazy”, buy generics (online or by going to India) and either get cured (YUPPI), either having lost some money trying (in case of fake medication) which will lead to either repeat Option 1, either to go to Option 2.
If poison or a toxic product has been purchased than ….. yeah, “die trying” might also happen. That’s why supply chain integrity is of a vital importance .

Option 2 – WAIT. WAIT. WAIT. 10 years (if cirrhosis appears faster, perhaps the waiting time gets reduced – either one will finally get the branded treatment, either death will occur ). Otherwise, if no cirrhosis, than it is WAIT for 10 years = 3650 days = 87600 hours = 5 256 000 minutes = this is the time in which the patient will not get better, rather will continue to live (survive) a poor life.

Very often we hear the question: how much does one minute of your life worth?
I cannot give you an answer like 1$, 10$ , but if we multiply the one minute value with 5 256 000 minutes, it will generate quite a big amount of worth.

So, shall the HCV patient wait (and waste a worth of 5 256 000 x) or shall he/she be “crazy” and get treated.

And last but not least, what is the meaning of “being crazy” in the context of living with HCV?
Is “crazy” the one who is waiting and is not getting treated (aka doing the same thing as until now = waiting) or the one trying to get treated?

Cheers,
RHF