Preparation "Sofosbuvir": instructions for use, mechanism of action, analogues

To date, almost three hundred million people worldwide have been infected with the hepatitis C virus. However, a vaccine against this dangerous disease has not yet been developed.

Features of the disease

A terrible virus affects the cells of an important human body - the liver. After that, hepatitis C creates its own copy, which extends beyond the affected cell to spread the disease.

To date, several methods of infection with viral hepatitis have been identified:

• with blood transfusion;
• for tattooing, acupuncture and other procedures if non-sterile needles are used;
• when using a single needle by addicts;
• by the sexual way;
• from mother to child during pregnancy.

Features of treatment of

Many physicians compare hepatitis C with HIV.Cure of this deadly disease at the moment is impossible. Nevertheless, there are certain types of drugs that are designed to prevent the spread of the virus.

In such treatment, two drugs are usually used: "Interferon Alpha" and "Ribavirin."The first prevents the spread of the virus into healthy cells, the second is directed at counteracting its reproduction. However, this treatment regimen has a huge number of side effects and low efficacy.

Therefore, scientists continue to develop new drugs that help fight against hepatitis C. One of the latest advances in innovative medicine is the drug Sofosbuvir. The instructions for use contain all the necessary information about it.

Description of the preparation

The drug is available in the form of tablets of round shape, the surface of which is covered with a shell, soluble only in gastric juice. This information contains the instructions attached to the preparation "Sofosbuvir".The composition of the medicine includes a unique substance having the same name as the preparation, as well as auxiliary substances.

The required dosage of the drug is 400 mg and is included in one tablet. The package contains 28 pills, which is enough for a course of treatment for a month.

Effects on the body

The effect on the body is described in the instructions for use of the "Sofosbuvir" preparation. The mechanism of action, in simple terms, is that the main substance of the drug is a modern retarder of the hepatitis C enzyme. It has a complex effect on the organism affected by the virus. Clinical trials have shown that even in a severely weakened disease, a sustained positive dynamics is observed under the action of the drug. This is true for hepatitis 1-4 genotype.

However, with the simultaneous infection of hepatitis C and HIV infection, many doctors do not consider the use of this drug appropriate. The fact is that in this case its effectiveness is not proven. It is important to understand that, despite the detailed instructions that contain the instructions for use of the Sofosbuvir preparation, the manufacturer warns against self-medication. Intensive therapy against the chronic form of viral hepatitis C can be prescribed exclusively by an experienced physician. The course of treatment is conducted under the supervision of professionals.

Use of

Most doctors believe that the drug "Sofosbuvir" should be taken only in combination with other medicines. For this, the following schemes are traditionally used, which depend on the genotype of the disease:

• For genotypes of type 3-6, the drug "Sofosbuvir" is prescribed with the drugs "Ribavirin" and "Interferon Alpha".The course of therapy should be more than 3 months.
• In case of infection with hepatitis 1, and if it is impossible to use a medication such as Interferon Alpha( if there are contraindications or individual intolerance).In this case, the rate is doubled.
• In genotype 2, the combination scheme of the drug "Sofosbuvir" with the drug "Ribavirin" is used for 3 months.
• In case the patient expects a liver transplant, it is recommended to use medicines "Ribavirin" and "Sofosbuvir" at the same time. Instruction for use recommends prolongation of treatment up to transplantation.

In case of side effects associated with taking one of the combination therapy drugs, therapy should be discontinued. Data on the effectiveness of treatment in persons who have not reached adulthood are absent in the world practice.

The drug "Sofosbuvir" is taken once a day at a doctor-appointed dose. There are rules that must be followed when doing this:

• Do not chew or share tablets, since they have a very bitter taste. The medication is taken while eating.
• If vomiting occurs within two hours after taking the medication, you should drink an additional dose of the drug.
• If you miss a medication, if the delay is less than 18 hours, take the missed tablet. If the time has passed more - take the next dose at the set time.

Special instructions

All sorts of additional information that is important to know when taking a medication contains the instructions attached to the preparation "Sofosbuvir".Indications for the use of this drug in the complex therapy largely determine side effects.

When treating the drug should know the following:

• reduces the concentration of attention and reaction speed, so it is worth giving up driving and some activities;
• pregnancy is undesirable, therefore, reliable methods of contraception should be provided.

Side effects of

To date, not all the side effects of the drug "Sofosbuvir" have been identified. The instructions for use contain information that they depend on the combination of the drug with other medicines.

When combining the drug with Ribavirin,

• is observed in more than 10% of cases - decreased hemoglobin levels and increased bilirubin in the blood, nausea, fatigue, sleep disorders, headache, nervousness;
• in 1% of cases - inflammation of the nasal mucosa and pharynx, decrease in the level of iron in the blood, depression, cough, attention concentration disorder, problems with the functioning of the digestive tract, hair loss, itching, seizures, fever.

With the additional introduction of the drug "Interferon Alfa" there is a risk that there will be:

• anemia, insomnia, dizziness, a decrease in the number of neutrophils, platelets and lymphocytes and increased bilirubin in the blood, rash, itching, chills, diarrhea, vomiting, fever;
• weight loss, depressive and panic conditions, migraine, constipation, shortness of breath, pain and other effects.

For details of all side effects, refer to the instruction manual for the application of attached to the Sofosbuir preparation.

Analogues

There are a number of analogues of the preparation "Sofosbuvir".They can be divided into 2 groups. Analogues for the active substance are: "Viropak", "Grateziano", "Hepsinat", "Hopetavir".The list of drugs that have a similar therapeutic effect to Sofosbuvir is much broader. Let's name only some of them: "Algeron", "Ladipasvir", "Neovir", "Tsikloferon" and many others.

However, we can distinguish several advantages of "Sofosbuvira" over its analogues:

• the possibility of treating various genotypes of hepatitis C;
• high efficiency;
• a short course of treatment compared with many other drugs;
• good portability;
• does not affect the quality of life of the patient.

The cost of

Modern medicine knows not so many effective drugs that successfully help to fight against viral hepatitis C, which has passed into a chronic stage. For adults, the German medicine "Sofosbuvir" is suitable. Instructions for use allow you to compare it with other similar medicines.

Due to the fact that this drug shows a sufficiently high efficiency, it has obvious advantages over analogues, its cost is unusually high. One course will cost the patient about several thousand dollars. That is why it is almost impossible to get the drug "Sofosbuvir" in pharmacies.

To date, the most perfect and safe drug that is used to treat viral hepatitis C is this particular remedy. Such information is confirmed by the instruction attached to the medicament "Sofosbuvir".Analogues, according to doctors, do not allow to achieve equally significant results.

It is thanks to this that the drug is recognized by a huge number of medical professionals all over the world. They are sure that today there is simply no more effective medication that can significantly alleviate the life of seriously ill patients.