Hepatitis B Patient Assistance Programs

Tears Of The Stomach Or Intestines

If you have diverticulitis , talk to your healthcare provider before taking ACTEMRA. Some people taking ACTEMRA may develop a hole in the wall of their stomach or intestines . This happens most often in people who also take nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs , corticosteroids, or methotrexate.

Tell your healthcare provider right away if you see any of these side effects: fever, stomach-area pain that does not go away, or if you see a change in your bowel habits.

How To Get Prescription Assistance

The first step in becoming a Simplefill member and getting some assistance paying for your Baraclude prescription is to apply online or call Simplefill at 1386-0206. Within 24 hours, a trained Simplefill patient advocate will call you and conduct an interview to build your patient profile.

That profile allows us to match your specific needs to the most suitable Baraclude assistance programs. Once we determine which programs are likely to give you the help you require, well apply to them on your behalf, and then get you enrolled in the ones that accept you.

We view our relationship with each Simplefill member as a long-term partnership. You can count on us to make sure your Baraclude prescription is always up-to-date. Moving forward, well update your profile as your health care provider adds new medications, and find you prescription assistance for those as well.

Can Hepatitis B Be Treated

If you know you have been exposed to the hepatitis B virus in the previous seven days or less, you can receive an injection of hepatitis B immune globulin that may prevent you from developing the disease. Besides this, there is no treatment for acute hepatitis B.

If you have chronic hepatitis B, two types of treatment exist interferon which is a medication administered by a needle, and antiviral medicines that are taken by mouth. Current approved hepatitis B oral medications include lamivudine, adefovir, telbivudine, tenofovir, and entecavir. These treatments do not provide a cure, but they offer control of the virus so that further damage to your liver can be prevented. When and how to treat your hepatitis B is a decision between you and your doctor. Availability of the medications listed above may vary from province to province based on provincial government drug plans and individual insurance plans.

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Persons With Inadequate Immunization Records

Evidence of long term protection against HB has only been demonstrated in individuals who have been vaccinated according to a recommended immunization schedule. Independent of their anti-HBs titres, children and adults lacking adequate documentation of immunization should be considered susceptible and started on an immunization schedule appropriate for their age and risk factors. Refer to Immunization of Persons with Inadequate Immunization Records in Part 3 for additional information.

Who Is Most At Risk Of Contracting Hepatitis C

You have a high risk of contracting hepatitis C if you:

• use or have used injection drugs even if it was just once or many years ago
• have received blood or blood products or an organ transplant before July 1990 in Canada
• have been in jail or
• have been injected or scratched during vaccination, surgery, blood transfusion or a religious/ceremonial ritual in regions where hepatitis C is common.

You have a high moderate risk of contracting hepatitis C if you:

• have tattoos or body piercing
• have multiple sexual partners
• have a sexually transmitted infection , including HIV or lymphogranuloma venereum
• have experienced traumatic sex or rough sex or have used sex toys or fisting that can tear body tissue
• have vaginal sex during menstruation
• have received a kidney treatment
• have received an accidental injury from a needle or syringe
• have another infectious disease
• were born to a hepatitis C infected mother or
• have a sexual partner infected with hepatitis C.

Hepatitis C is NOT passed from person to person by:

• coughing, sneezing
• breastfeeding unless your nipples are cracked and bleeding or
• oral sex, unless blood is present.

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How Is Hepatitis B Passed On

The hepatitis B virus is passed from person to person in one of these ways:

• Blood-to-blood contact. For example, drug users sharing needles or other equipment which may be contaminated with infected blood. Healthcare workers can be infected through accidental needlestick injuries.
• Having unprotected sex with an infected person.
• An infected mother passing it to her baby.
• A human bite from an infected person. This is very rare.

What Are The Symptoms

What happens to you when you contract hepatitis B depends largely on the age at which you first become infected and how well your immune system copes with the virus. If you are infected as an adult, you may have a brief illness with mild or moderate symptoms such as jaundice, dark urine, fatigue, abdominal discomfort, and loss of appetite. As an adult, you have a 95% chance of clearing the infection completely and developing lifelong protection against this virus. The acute infection rarely leads to severe illness that requires a liver transplant.

Most babies and children exposed to this virus never have signs and symptoms. Unfortunately, they are more likely to become carriers of hepatitis B for life because their immune system is unable to fight and clear the virus from their body. In these cases, chronic infections are often not detected or picked up until much later in life when the person becomes seriously ill with liver disease.

Chronic hepatitis B infection goes through different phases that also show how well your body is coping with the virus. Although most people with chronic hepatitis B have an inactive disease and will remain healthy, about one in four will have active disease that may lead to cirrhosis , liver failure, and liver cancer.

People who are healthy with an inactive disease may still be at risk of virus reactivation, especially when their immune system is weakened by medicines such as chemotherapy or by other viral infections.

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How Does Baraclude Work

Baraclude is classified as a hepatitis B virus nucleoside analog reverse transcriptase inhibitor. There are three steps in the viral replication process, and Baraclude inhibits all three. By preventing viral cells from multiplying and infecting more cells, Baraclude reduces the amount of the hepatitis B virus in the blood.

Patient Assistance Programs For Twinrix

Patient assistance programs are usually sponsored by pharmaceutical companies and provide free ordiscounted medicines to low income or uninsured and under-insured people who meet specific guidelines.Eligibility requirements vary for each program.

There are currently no Patient Assistance Programs that we know about for this drug.

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Baraclude Patient Assistance Programs

Simplefill is dedicated to helping Americans who are struggling to pay for expensive medications they need on a daily basis, such as Baraclude. High U.S. prescription costs can make it difficult to maintain a reliable supply. Learn more about Baraclude patient assistance programs, and enroll with Simplefill today.

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Persons With Chronic Diseases

Refer to Immunization of Persons with Chronic Diseases in Part 3 for additional general information about vaccination of people with chronic diseases.

Chronic renal disease and patients on dialysis

People with chronic renal disease may respond sub-optimally to HB vaccine and experience more rapid decline of anti-HBs titres, and are therefore recommended immunization with a higher vaccine dose. Individuals undergoing chronic dialysis are also at increased risk for HB infection. In people with chronic renal disease anti-HBs titre should be evaluated annually and booster doses using a higher vaccine dose should be given as necessary.

Neurologic disorders

People with conditions such as autism spectrum disorders or demyelinating disorders should receive all routinely recommended immunizations, including HB-containing vaccine.

Chronic liver disease

HB immunization is recommended for non-immune persons with chronic liver disease, including those infected with hepatitis C, because they are at risk of more severe disease if infection occurs. Vaccination should be completed early in the course of the disease, as the immune response to vaccine is suboptimal in advanced liver disease. Post-immunization serologic testing may be used to confirm vaccine response.

Non-malignant hematologic disorders

Persons with bleeding disorders and other people receiving repeated infusions of blood or blood products are considered to be at higher risk of contracting HB and should be offered HB vaccine.

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Where Can I Get More Detailed Information On How To Live With Hepatitis B

More detailed information can be found in the Canadian Liver Foundations Healthy Living with Viral Hepatitis booklet, including:

• What to expect if you have hepatitis B
• The different types of blood tests and what they measure
• How to prepare for an appointment with your doctor
• What choices to make to prevent additional damage to your liver
• Who needs to know if you have hepatitis B and how to tell them
• How to recognize and deal with symptoms
• How to find financial assistance
• What questions to ask when considering alternative therapies.

Indication And Important Safety Information

What is VEMLIDY?

VEMLIDY is a prescription medicine used to treat chronic hepatitis B virus in adults with stable liver disease.

• VEMLIDY may lower the amount of HBV in your body.

• VEMLIDY may improve the condition of your liver.

What is the most important information I should know about VEMLIDY?

VEMLIDY can cause serious side effects, including:

• Worsening of hepatitis B virus infection. Your HBV infection may get worse if you take VEMLIDY and then stop taking it. A flare-up is when your HBV infection suddenly returns in a worse way than before. Do not stop taking VEMLIDY without first talking to your healthcare provider, as they will need to monitor your health regularly to check your liver.

What should I tell my healthcare provider before taking VEMLIDY?

All of your medical conditions, including if you have end stage renal disease or HIV-1 infection. Your healthcare provider may test you for HIV infection before starting VEMLIDY. If you have HIV and only take VEMLIDY, the HIV virus may develop resistance and become harder to treat.

If you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if VEMLIDY will harm your unborn baby. Tell your healthcare provider if you become pregnant during treatment with VEMLIDY.

If you are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. It is not known if VEMLIDY passes into your breast milk. Talk with your healthcare provider about the best way to feed your baby.

What are the possible side effects of VEMLIDY?

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Patient Assistance Programs In The Us

If you live in the United States and are struggling to afford your hepatitis B medication, there may be programs available to help you with the cost. Programs generally fall into one of 4 general categories: Manufacturer-Sponsored Patient Assistance Programs Nonprofit Co-Pay Assistance Programs Mail-order Discount Pharmacies and Discount Prescription Cards.

Concurrent Administration Of Vaccines

HB-containing vaccines may be administered concomitantly with other vaccines or with HBIg. Different injection sites and separate needles and syringes must be used for concurrent parenteral injections.

Refer to Timing of Vaccine Administration in Part 1 for additional information about concurrent administration of vaccines.

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What Should I Tell My Healthcare Provider Before Receiving Actemra

ACTEMRA may not be right for you. Before receiving ACTEMRA, tell your healthcare provider if you:

• have an infection
• have liver problems
• have any stomach-area pain or been diagnosed with diverticulitis or ulcers in your stomach or intestines
• have had a reaction to tocilizumab or any of the ingredients in ACTEMRA before
• have or had a condition that affects your nervous system, such as multiple sclerosis
• have recently received or are scheduled to receive a vaccine
• plan to have surgery or a medical procedure
• have any other medical conditions
• plan to become pregnant or are pregnant. It is not known if ACTEMRA will harm your unborn baby.
• plan to breast-feed or are breast-feeding. You and your healthcare provider should decide if you will take ACTEMRA or breast-feed. You should not do both.
• are taking any medications, including prescription and nonprescription medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements.

Epclusa Can Cause Serious Side Effects Including:

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Family Physicians Can Manage Adults With Hepatitis C

RICHARD R. ANDREWS, MD, MPH, HOPE Clinic, Houston, Texas

Am Fam Physician. 2018 Oct 1 98:413-416.

Hepatitis C virus causes the only chronic viral disease that is consistently curable with medication. However, it causes more deaths in the United States than the next 60 reportable infections combined, including human immunodeficiency virus , tuberculosis, and pneumococcal disease.1

The epidemiology of HCV infection is complex and differs in key ways from hepatitis B and HIV infections. HCV is not commonly transmitted through sex, but it is far more infectious than hepatitis B virus and HIV when transmitted via injection and intranasal drug use.2 Despite effective treatments, the incidence of HCV infection is increasing in the United States. High-risk groups include persons born between 1945 and 1965, those who use certain illicit drugs, and those who are incarcerated.2

Sustained viral response , defined as the persistent absence of detectable virus in the blood, is the goal of hepatitis C treatment. The term SVR12 is used when SVR occurs 12 weeks or more after completion of antiviral treatment. SVR12 is widely accepted as reflecting the eradication of HCV from the body, as opposed to mere suppression. Medications can eliminate HCV because the virus does not have a hidden reservoir in the body, unlike hepatitis B virus.3

HCV = hepatitis C virus.

*Estimated retail price for full treatment course based on information obtained at .

Patient Assistance Programs For Heplisav

Patient assistance programs are usually sponsored by pharmaceutical companies and provide free ordiscounted medicines to low income or uninsured and under-insured people who meet specific guidelines.Eligibility requirements vary for each program.

There are currently no Patient Assistance Programs that we know about for this drug.

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Can Hepatitis C Be Treated

Yes, since 2010 enormous progress has been made in the treatment of chronic hepatitis C. New therapies called direct-acting antivirals are pills that act on the virus itself to eradicate it from the body, unlike older medicines like interferon injections which work by stimulating an immune response. These new treatments are very effective and can achieve cure rates of over 90%. In most situations now, there is no need for interferon, which was responsible for many of the side effects previously associated with HCV treatment. The new treatment combinations require shorter treatment durations , have reduced side effects and appear to be effective at all stages of the disease.

Because these new therapies are very new, they remain very expensive. As such, drug coverage from both government and private companies may require that your liver disease has progressed to a certain stage before they are willing to cover the cost of these drugs.

Your primary care physician may refer you to a specialist to determine whether you are eligible for treatment. A specialist will help you decide which drug therapy is best for you based on the severity of your liver disease, your virus genotype and whether or not you have been treated in the past.

Patient Assistance And Co

Over the past two years, the Fair Pricing Coalition has addressed patient health insurance co-payment programs and patient drug assistance programs for people living with HIV and/or viral hepatitis. The FPC has negotiated co-pay programs with virtually every major HIV drug manufacturer. The FPC is also working on expanding PAPs and making it easier for people to access them, especially for people who have been put on waiting lists for state AIDS Drug Assistance Programs . Following is a list of co-pay and patient assistance programs for HIV and hepatitis B and C, and contact information for these programs. This is a living document that will be updated as program changes are implemented.

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Letairis Education And Access Program

The Letairis Education and Access Program helps patients understand their coverage and identify financial support options to access Letairis® . The program offerings include:

• Access to case managers who can help answer insurance-related questions and provide information regarding coverage options.
• Information about authorized distributors .
• Letairis co-pay coupon program, which provides co-pay support for eligible patients with commercial insurance who need help paying for their out-of-pocket medicine costs. Eligible patients could pay as little as $5 per month. The co-pay coupon program is not available for patients enrolled in government healthcare prescription drug programs, such as Medicare Part D and Medicaid. Medicare Part D enrollees in the coverage gap also are not eligible. Additional restrictions may apply.
• Referral to the Patient Assistance Solutions program, which provides Letairis at no cost for qualified patients who meet the programs eligibility criteria.

To learn more about LEAP, visit or call 1-866-664-5327, Monday through Friday between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. EST.

What Does Simplefill Provide

An interruption in the supply of Baraclude can cause a serious setback, but Simplefill can help ensure that hepatitis B patients never go without this essential medication because they cant afford it. We connect our members with the programs and organizations that can provide financial assistance with their prescription costs. Theres no reason why you should have to sacrifice other necessities in order to maintain an uninterrupted supply of Baraclude.

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