Says it all. In Australia for me to maintain my right to information and the freedom to express myself about a condition I have, and a condition that entities like the TGA have not cared a damn about in regard to me, we have to look at going ‘off shore’.

I get your point about not using the USA – it is in the grip of big companies and too much of a risk. We need to try other options a bit more open to free communication; I put forward the case for North Korea.

Where is the Minister in all this. The “LAW”!. Baloney!

Where I work here in NSW, there is an example in respect to Financial Management Orders during Mental Health Review Tribunal Hearings. One Act says they have to be made, virtually by stint of someone being mentally unwell, while another says distress to the patient and other supports have to be considered. The onus is then on the MHRT to exercise its discretion for the best interests of the patient.

The tone of the letter is that ‘I can do this to you because you are a private person and not a government entity, and you cannot do anything about it’.

Unfortunately, I agree with another poster that the recipient(s) of this threat are in the gun and it would be best if they don’t risk themselves. Appears we are back to being a convict settlement.

Yours

Jeff

Taken from the TGA website:

https://www.tga.gov.au/court-action

a list of prosecutions from 2013 through to 2015:

2015
• Conviction for criminal charges for dealing with unapproved therapeutic goods. 
On 3 December 2015, a Melbourne man appeared in the Ringwood Magistrates Court, Victoria on 8 criminal charges relating to dealing with unapproved therapeutic goods:
◦ 6 counts of importing therapeutic goods not included in the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods (ARTG) contrary to section 19B(4) of the Therapeutic Goods Act 1989 (Cth) (the Act)
◦ 1 count of supplying therapeutic goods not included in the ARTG contrary to section 19B(4) of the Act
◦ 1 count of supplying counterfeit therapeutic goods contrary to section 42E of the Act.
• The Magistrate ordered that in relation to the import charges and supply charges under section 19B, a single penalty be imposed – the man was convicted and fined $1,500.
In relation to the charge of supplying counterfeit therapeutic goods, the man was convicted and fined $500.
The man who now resides overseas voluntarily returned to finalise these matters. He had no previous convictions and entered a guilty plea.
The man was ordered to pay $117 in court costs and he was allowed 3 months to pay. The Magistrate also ordered that all of the imported goods seized by TGA investigators were forfeited.
• On 22 May 2015 the Adelaide Magistrates Court sentenced a 69 year old Adelaide man in relation to the importation of counterfeit erectile dysfunction medicines. The man pleaded guilty to one criminal charge under section 42E (1)(a)(iii) of the Therapeutic Goods Act 1989. The man was convicted and fined $4,000.
The goods seized as evidential material were forfeited to the Commonwealth under section 54 of the Therapeutic Goods Act 1989.
• On 13 February 2015 the Southport Magistrates Court sentenced a man in relation to 24 criminal charges surrounding the manufacture, export and supply of unapproved therapeutic goods under section 19B(4) of the Therapeutic Goods Act 1989. The product, known as Black Salve, is not approved for marketing in Australia and has been the subject of TGA alerts (See Black and red salves in treating cancer and Black salve, red salve and cansema). The man was convicted under the provisions of section 20(1) of the Crimes Act 1914 and released on security of $5,000 and by recognizance that he be of good behaviour for two years. The court ordered the man not to be in possession of restricted chemicals, not to manufacture, promote, advertise or supply Black Salve and that the goods seized as evidential material be forfeited to the Commonwealth under section 54 of the Therapeutic Goods Act 1989.
2014
• 13 June 2014: Following an appeal by the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions, two men were convicted the County Court of Victoria in Melbourne on 13 June 2014. Both respondents had been charged with eight criminal charges relating to their dealing with unapproved, and counterfeit medicines contrary the Therapeutic Goods Act 1989 (Cth) namely;
◦ 2 charges contrary to section 19B (1)(a)(i) (import of unapproved therapeutic goods); and
◦ 2 charges contrary to section 19B (1)(a)(iv) (supply of unapproved therapeutic goods); and
◦ 1 charge contrary to section 35 (1) (carrying out step in manufacture of therapeutic goods while not licensed to do so); and
◦ 1 charge contrary to section 42E (1)(a)(ii) (supply of counterfeit therapeutic goods); and
◦ 1 charge contrary to section 42E (1)(a)(i) (manufacture of counterfeit therapeutic goods); and
◦ 1 charge contrary to section 42E (1)(a)(iii) (import of counterfeit therapeutic goods).
• Both men were released conditionally under paragraph 20 (1)(a) of the Crimes Act 1914 (Cth), that each respondent give security by recognisance of $ 750 and to be of good behaviour for two years.
2013
Outcome of criminal prosecutions, from 1 August 2013
• 13 November 2013 – a company pleaded guilty in the Melbourne Magistrate’s Court to the importation and supply of unapproved therapeutic goods contrary to subsection 19B(4) of the Act following an investigation by the Therapeutic Goods Administration. The company entered into an order and recognisance under Subsection 19B(1) of the Crimes Act 1914 with a recognisance of $25,000 on condition the company is to be of good behaviour for 12 months and to pay costs of the prosecution for the offences of $25,000 stayed until 11 February 2014.
• 7 November 2013 – a man was sentenced at the Downing Centre Local Court (Sydney) in relation to supplying counterfeit medicines contrary to section 42E of the Act following an investigation by the Therapeutic Goods Administration. The man was convicted and ordered to perform 350 hours of community service.
• 27 August 2013 – a man pleaded guilty at the Downing Centre Local Court (Sydney) to one count of importing unapproved weight loss medicines contrary to section 19B of the Act following an investigation by the Therapeutic Goods Administration. The man was ordered to pay a fine of $2,000 and to be of good behaviour for 2 years. The medicines seized by the TGA as evidence in the case were forfeited to the Commonwealth for destruction.

What manner of logic allows the TGA to categorise FixHep C as something they should go after and waste my tax payments along the way?

J.

Hi Rowan:

Since completing treatment I have noticed that the side effects are abating, I fart less (go figure!) sleep very well and am swimming 3x a week and regaining some muscle mass.

I am 6 weeks past EOT and I hope I am still UND (originally since Jan while on sof/dac). Find out if SVR in July.

Since taking the meds the gym has been my friend to the extent that I appear to have stretched something under the skin (according to the doctor) where I have an abdominal scar, and after asking at the gym what exercises not to do, started something else and now have a very sore wrist.

These meds should come with a warning about not injuring oneself after talking them!

Yours

Jeff

P.S. congrats about the SVR.

Hi tweakmax,

I am 5 + weeks EOT and have some indistinct feelings as well.

The first is some tiredness and the second is a sometimes pain in my right side where I would expect the bottom part of my liver resides.

Due to see my G.P. about follow up anyway and will ask about the pain.

Since treatment there is more energy and hence more heroic gym stuff – the tiredness at times seems to be a ‘good tiredness’ rather than just not wanting to get out of bed.

The pain is around and in a dirty great big scar from surgery which appears to have reddened and got angry looking after all the gym heroics. I think I have strained something?

I suppose the point I am trying to make, is that for me this virus will sometimes do your head in. And now hopefully it is dead and buried, it’s ghosts will attempt to do the same.

Yours

Jeff

Hi Gaj and best wishes during the next wait.

Couldn’t think of much to say, though I did notice Tricia’s comments.

You have 865 posts onboard – 99.9% of which are calm and wise and supporting everybody else here.

Many thanks for being here.

Yours

Jeff

The reversing fibrosis article almost reads like the affects of DAA’s may be generalised across all the body’s bits ….

“Recent clinical trials have shown that curing hepatitis C with antiviral medications often results in a dramatic resolution of the dense fibrosis that accompanies cirrhosis — far more than previously thought. This shows that fibrosis can be reversed.

Realistic strategies for deactivating myofibroblasts have opened up the theoretical possibility that medications or other therapies might halt and even reverse fibrosis — at least in the test tube. Other biochemical pathways that regulate the process of remodeling also seem to be open to therapeutic alteration in the laboratory.”

I didn’t get a sense of how this all worked, but it sounds possible DAA’s may have other unintended uses…? Does it breakdown the fibrosis or just give the liver a fair go at doing this?

I read somewhere about good old interferon possible being effective in reversing Peyronie’s disease in as much as it broke down scar tissue??

It is something with treatment I was hanging my hat on; and it’s good to see an article holding out some hope that getting rid of the bug may help with scaring as well.

Yours

Jeff

Have you got Hep?

I suppose some people associated with a forum going by the handle FixHepC may have – failed the IQ test.

Made me start thinking though, about what having ‘got’ something really is. I know that even with ‘gotting’ rid of it, HepC’s past presence will still show up if anyone who wants a blood test cares to look. For a lot of people it may be tell tale signs in the liver…..

Did you ask this bod whether they had some dormant bug laying around their system? Maybe toe nail fungus, and you could have referred him on to the poster Mike talked about?

Funny how people can start to define each other given half a moment of dumb stupidity.

Yours

Jeff – person of at least some merit regardless whether I have ‘got’ anything in particular.