Two things to consider before making unnecessary waves.

First, there is no place on the customs form that specifically asks about these types of medicines … and if you have the electronic chip and use the machine there are even fewer questions. To announce you’ve got Hep C meds would be going beyond any requirements of the forms.

Second, if you make too much noise at customs those easy pass forms might be changed … and there are still a couple million people that may need to do this.

Just have the meds in your carry-on along with paperwork and don’t even concern yourself more with it.

I can’t tell you how effective it will be, but anything anyone can try is a step in the right direction. It would be good if you could find an activist type of writer to get some stories into the press, and also if you could get meetings with people in your legislature to explain what’s going on.

But I’ve got another really simple idea you might try. Lots of people could try this.

How many clinics, hepatologists and/or gastroenterologists are there in your area? You can’t openly advertise in their offices of course, but you might be able to get info into their waiting areas that might save some people.

Specifically, you could get some inexpensive folders (clear cover) and put printouts of two articles in them and leave copies of these in waiting rooms on top of the magazine piles. The two articles would be 1) Dr. Freeman’s report to the International Liver Congress and 2) Dr. Freeman’s article in “Debates in Hepatology.” How could an office of any health care provider object to making published medical information available for reading? You would need to refrain from any additional hyping that could be interpreted as a sales pitch … Just the articles.

You can find them here
1) http://fixhepc.com/forum/fixhepc-admin/950-easl-presentation-language-translators-wanted.html?limitstart=0
2) http://fixhepc.com/forum/media-news/1103-liver-international-debates-in-hepatology.html

Hmmm … so I’m guessing somebody in Bangladesh is about to win a race to market again. My money is on Incepta.

Edit: I asked this on another thread, but it actually belongs here ….

Is the compounding process for Velpatasvir something which can be done by any compounding chemist, i.e., Kingswood?

Hi Jo, I’m gonna tell you a little story you might find interesting.

Way, way back in sofosbuvir history now … when I saw the price Gilead was setting on their drug, I knew I wouldn’t be getting it through insurance. I recognized that the price would dictate rationing and I wasn’t sick enough. And to top it off I was new to the health plan and they could dismiss my case as a pre-existing condition and make me wait a couple years at least to get it.

As soon as the news broke about India possibly rejecting Gilead’s patent I knew what I would be doing …. medical tourism. I scoured the internet looking for anything I could find on when those drugs would be available. I searched out articles by Brook Baker and found Fierce Pharma’s website (which I swear was knocked down or somehow inaccessible to me for a while) and basically anything that talked about Hep C generics in India.

In one of those searches I came across a forum post … if I remember correctly the forum was hosted in the UK, but I don’t remember for certain. In that post, an expatriate woman living in Panama stated clearly that she would go to India to get her meds if she had to. I’m pretty sure her name was Jo. Aha! So I wasn’t the only person thinking along these lines.

So, because of this “Jo” person, every so often, maybe once every month or two, I’d go back and search for people doing the medical tourism thing and kept looking to see if you’d found the answer. It was in one of those searches that I found a post about a blog … by some guy in Australia … who was planning to go to India to get his meds. BOOM!

I don’t remember exactly where I first heard about Twinvir, maybe Greg’s blog, maybe elsewhere … but somewhere in that time frame I scheduled an appointment with a Hepatologist (two month wait,) got my blood work done and then again, somewhere in that time frame, news popped up about Mesochem (that almost certainly was from Greg’s blog.) I started scheduling my trip before I even got my blood results back. Then, right before my trip, Greg mentioned about a new site with a forum and a buyer’s club.

I joined this site on September 10 and asked my first question I think the next day … about Twinvir … post number 111. Seems like forever ago.

Now it’s true that I would have found the meds eventually anyway, but I want you to know … Finding your post that day gave me the push to start searching in earnest and in going back looking for more posts from you I found my way here. Because of your post I likely got my treatment months earlier than I would have otherwise.

So, my sincere congratulations on your successful treatment Jo, and thank you for being a part of mine.

Hi GP,

To dial an Australian number from the US, these are the steps:

Dial the “exit code” to get to international lines … 011
Then dial the country code of the country you wish to call, Australia is 61
Then the area code within Australia … 2
Then the 8 digit phone number … 4721 2752

So the whole number is … 011 61 2 4721 2752

PS You can tell them the tall American that showed up at opening time on a Sunday just over 7 months ago says Hi and Thank You.

Wow, that’s gotta be rough. But you’re at the right place.

So, someone at the University of Pennsylvania steered you to our little forum … awesome. Our Dr. James is really making a name for himself.
I’ll also advise you to schedule a “skype style” appointment with him. You can do that at GP2U.com. I’d suggest having your paperwork at hand to send to him.

In the mean time, take some time and read around the forum to get a feel for it. It’s not as hard as it seems at first and there is a lot of good information here and lots of good people to help. Usually people will click the “Recent Topics” tab to see what’s being discussed recently, or use the “Index” tab to look for specific subjects, but there is also a “Search” on the top of the page if you need it.

And as for other options, there are more new meds in the pipeline, so be certain you’re going to kill this dragon as long as you don’t give up.

For example, Velpatasvir is not yet approved for sale anywhere on the planet …. but …. I am aware of someone (who has not yet approved me identifying him/her) who has already received delivery of Velpatasvir. The price, including shipping, was US$1050.00 US$1060.00 for 12 weeks treatment (9 grams). And it’s from a source which has repeatedly proven itself trustworthy.

So, after you have your meeting with Dr. James, if he thinks your next choice should be that drug then I can guarantee you he can also tell you exactly how to acquire it.

Welcome to our forum.

Gil’s Tire: “Well certainly sir, I can get your tire fixed in twelve minutes … just go ahead and write me a check for twenty thousand dollars.”

Fly Guy: “$20,000! That’s insane!”

Gil: “No sir …. it’s the middle of the night. Go ahead and try, none of the other repair guys will even answer their phone this late.”

Fly: “It’s just a tire!”

Gil: “Oh no sir, you’ve already explained to me that if this tire doesn’t get fixed quickly you’ll miss your flight. And you’ve said that if you miss that flight you’ll miss your contract signing and you won’t make the sale. You’ll personally be out $25,000. That being the case I think it’s entirely reasonable that I charge you $20,000 for the service. After all, I’m saving you $5000.”

Fly: “It’s just a tire, you do this all the time and $20,000 is a totally unreasonable amount of money.”

Gil: “I think we are focusing a lot on price and what I didn’t hear at all was the value that you’re getting through the way I’m enabling you to save your deal. Now you can make out the check and we’ll get this done … write it to me personally …. My name is Gilead.”