hepatitis c cure

VA Doctor Invented Hepatitis C Cure, Sold It For $400 Million Profit

hepatitis c cure

Benjamin KrauseAtlanta – Inventor of hepatitis C cure worked as a VA doctor when he invented the drug that now sells for $1,000 per pill. It only costs $16 to make.

The pill is vital to treat infected veterans dying from careless administration of vaccines during Vietnam without following standards to protect spreading of diseases between soldiers.

Apparently, Dr. Raymond Schinazi, a VA doctor since 1983, founded a company named Pharmasset and led the scientific team that discovered sofosbuvir while working at VA. That is the substances used in current hep C pill treatments.

So who really owns the hepatitis C cure? Taxpayers or the VA employee who invented it while a full-time VA employee? Dr. Schinazi claimed it was all his.

WATCH: Fantastic CBS Story On Hepatitis C Profiteer

DR. SCHINAZI EMPLOYMENT AT VA

Dr. Schinazi claims he was only a government employee 7/8 of the time.

He further claims that in the remaining 1/8 of his time he invented drugs needed for very sick veterans that cost $84,000 for a 12-week regimen. However, it costs only $1,400 to manufacture that same 12-week regimen. In 2012, Dr. Schinazi sold Pharmasset to a Gilead for $11 billion. Of that, Dr. Schinazi netted $400 million in profit.

Are you are scratching your head on how a Federal employee working for the agency was able to develop a drug, keep rights to the property, and then sell it back to the government?

Me too. I recall being told in the military that anything I invent was the property of the government. Similarly, most corporations claim ownership over inventions of employees when the creation occurred using tools and time of the company.

VA claims it is perfectly legal for its employees to invest in companies. But the real question here is whether a conflict of interest exists in this instance and if taxpayers are the true owner of the hepatitis C cure.

VA’S “DISCOUNT” FOR HEP C CURE

Luckily, VA gets a 50% discount for the treatment, but it is still so outrageously expensive that many sick veterans cannot get the drug. So far, approximately 15% of the veterans sick with hepatitis C have been afforded the treatment.

When CBS asked Dr. Schinazi what he thought about those upset about his profiteering while being a Federal employee, he responded, “I’m sorry you’re taking it personally.”

I am still baffled at how his invention that was likely researched on veterans was still able to earn the guy such a shocking profit on the backs of sick vets. What do you think?

UPDATE

EXECUTIVE ORDER 10096 ON GOV EMPLOYEE INVENTION

My friend Eric Hughes did some preliminary digging on the law in this matter and found a case with similar circumstances from 1976. It involves Executive Order 10096 where the 7th Circuit held that EO 10096 was Constitutional. The court explained the EO as follows within this context in Kaplan v. US Veterans Administration, 545 F.2d 1073 (7th Cir. 1976):

The basic question for review on this appeal appears to be whether the district court erred in holding unconstitutional Executive Order 10096, which provides in substance that the United States shall obtain title to any invention made by any Government employee during working hours, or with a contribution by the Government, or which bears a direct relation to, or is made in consequence of, the inventor’s official duties.
Executive Order 10096 was promulgated by then President Harry S. Truman on January 23, 1950, “by virtue of the authority vested in (him) by the Constitution and statutes, and as President of the United States and Commander in Chief of the armed forces of the United States in the interest of the establishment and operation of a uniform patent policy for the Government with respect to inventions by Government employees.” 15 F.R. 389 (January 25, 1950).

The court went on to overturn the lower court’s decision and upheld the EO as being Constitutional.

The next question is whether Dr. Shinazi used any government resources while creating his invention. Some veterans familiar with the story claim Dr. Shinazi used veterans as walking incubators to conduct his research but left them without a cure once he reach his research goals. This claim is not verified yet but if anyone has some specific evidence on this subject, I would like to see it.

WORLDWIDE LOCATIONS OF HEP C TRIALS

Sofosbuvir Trials Locations Worldwide

Here are three test trials where the word “sofosbuvir” and “veteran” were used in the search that were in existence before Dr. Schinazi sold his company:

2 Completed
Has Results
Phase 3 Study of Sofosbuvir and Ribavirin

Condition: Hepatitis C
Interventions: Drug: Sofosbuvir;   Drug: PEG;   Drug: RBV
3 Enrolling by invitation Gilead Sustained Virologic Response (SVR) Registry

Condition: Hepatitis C, Chronic
Intervention:
4 Enrolling by invitation A Gilead Sequence Registry of Subjects Who Did Not Achieve Sustained Virologic Response

Condition: Hepatitis C, Chronic
Intervention:

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71 Comments

  1. This doctor saved millions of people by treating this disease. He saved tremendous amount of money for healthcare by preventing liver cirrhosis related care. He deserved the money. He invested his time, knowledge, funds in research and development and need to be well reimbursed. Stop being haters! Go out there invent Cure for HIV… Do you expect to make a Billion dollar by that? Yes i think you should!
    Thank you DR Schinzai

  2. How can you write about Pharmasett’s sofosbuvir/Sovaldi and not discuss their battle with Roche?

  3. I am so happy, i never believe i will be this happy again in life, I was working as an air-hoster ( cabby crew ) for 3years but early 2016, i loose my job because of this deadly disease called Hepatitis B (HbsAg), I never felt sick or have any symptom, till all workers were ask to bring their doctor report, that was how i got tested and i found out that am HbsAg positive that make me loose my job, because it was consider as an STD and is incurable disease, i was so depress was thinking of committing suicide, till i explain to a friend of mine, who always said to me a problem share is a problem solved, that was how she directed me to this MED LAB, that was how i contacted them and i get medication from them and i got cured for real, I just went back to my work and they also carry out the test to be real sure and i was negative. Please contact this MED LAB if you are hepatitis B positive or any kind of diseases their email is: medlab36@gmailcom

  4. my name is Mary,i am here to share my testimony about what Dr Osele did for me, he saved me from dying. I confirmed that i was Hepatitis B positive when i was 7weeks pregnant, i gave birth and later confirmed that my baby was also infected. i was frustrated and hopeless, i contacted Doctors and they all promised to help me but their effort was helpless. Some of my friends began to laugh at me and said that i will die miserably, i loosed hope and thought that my child and i will never be free of hEP B, till we die a shameful death, on a very good day i was browsing through the internet and i saw a testimony of one miss cristina talking about how Dr Osele helped her cure her from hep B, i did not believe but i decided to give Dr Osele a try and i contacted him with his Email, healthmedicallab At gmailcom He told me not to worry that he will help me and my daughter to be free of Hep b and he ask me to send him some of my information, i did, and sent medicine to me, he ask me to take it for 8days and also give to my daughter, i did as he Ordered, on the 9th day he emailed me and ask me to go with my daughter to the hospital for Hep b test, after the test result came out i confirmed that we are Hep B negative i could not believe it, tears of joy fell from my eyes that moment.. I am so happy to tell the world that my daughter and i are Hep B negative, we are now living a happy life without hep b.Please help me to thank Dr Osele for his great help. If you have any problem feel free to contact Dr Osele with his Email:healthmedicallab At gmailcom I guarantee you that he can also help you solve your problem.he even told me he cured all kind of diseases such as cancer, hiv/aids, herpes simplex, diabetes and other. contact him email or whatsapp : healthmedicallab At gmailcom

    1. this is a scam. Dr Osele is a fake!! don’t believe all the post you see with a Dr Osele!!

  5. Hello its interesting. Because in feb 1989 ,I Keith Allen gave the cure for Hep C to Rockefeller Institute.3 months later they began their interferon study.I got hep c in the endocrine study.They would not treat the inventor.After 27 years I will be fighting to put my name on the cure.In 1989 at Rockefeller Institute ,I told 2 , 29 year old Doctors .your UV light study is not the cure.The cure is Interferon with secondary antiviral.Do I know the secondary antiviral.I say its like a white horse with wings.The female doctor said PEGASUS.I said yes, the secondary antiviral is Pega(something)its in the PDR.10 years after they put my name on my cure.I want my name on my cure.if you know a lawyer ,im ready-i can’t stand people(doctors)living off me any longer

    1. that should read = 10 years later they put the name(PEGASUS)on my drug cure-but my name has been hidden for 27years.And this is going to end-I saved 50,000,000 people in America alone.I worked as the delivery boy at the drug store .When i put together the cure only 3 weeks after the virus was named Hep C.I cured a virus faster then any doctor -in the history of mankind.But their patients died (the smart crowd-ha ha ha)did not take my cure for Retrovirus-this non drug cure has never been made.I offered the cure if they would treat mein 1989.They told me”I”M not working on that.They were making my hep C cure-I have evidence on this -my name will be on this-the people of America have a right to know!And the world.

      1. and if you can fight for America-I want to know why American men are too weak , to demand the right to vote on Laws-I hear you have a phone.If you can’t vote on law.People can try anything.Just because people were afraid to ask for Democracy, it did’nt make them right.People that think for themself, make the cures and invent.No great inventor is a follower and I have 130,000,000 lives to prove it-I created the cure for hep C feb 1989 -in the endocrine study Rockefeller Institute(the doctors where shocked)the yellow kids were -you had to see them-they are about 45 today
        .

  6. You may remember being told that anything you invent belongs to the government, but I think you were told a lie. In 1972 I was under a Master Chief who invented and patented the life vests that enlisted men wore while working the carrier decks at the time, and he was a wealthy man for it.

  7. This is a common occurrence of VA money and Land Grant Medical Schools with VA Medical and Research centers attached being used in research by pharmaceutical companies and no benefit to the government. Essentially a pay out so politicians can get campaigns funded by the same.

  8. “The next question is whether Dr. Shinazi used any government resources while creating his invention. ”

    The NIH and the VA FUNDED Pharmasset, so I would say he did.

    I have some stuff on the trials. Will send to you.

  9. DR Schinzai . CLASSIC .
    There is protocol for govermental works and science breakthroughs . Nasa is loaded with such things. this is blood money, veterans suffering proffateering. Veteran affairs is engaged in fraudulent research and development, but when good comes it’s taken and denied or out priced to siphon funds to private profiteering. There is no justice veterans , well there is but it’s spelled

    JustUs.

  10. There is but one reason such a twisted web of corruption exists and will exist in the United States; The VHA represents a Cash Cow. We have seen this cow being milked, bilked, kicked, and abused, and the Cash Cow just keeps spitting out that sweet nectar.

    It is not possible to change a cow into a mule. Grandpa told me this. This cow has sweet milk and there isn’t anyone involved that wants to go to work with a mule instead.

    Every single criminal organization that I can recall from memory has but one thing in common, and often many things not in common. But that one thing is this: Money.

    There is money to be made in VA as an employee. Lot’s of it. This cannot be argued. This is fact.

    I don’t care if some doctor sold 1/8th of his soul to the devil for paperbacks. He is rich. Hurray for him. I am dubious that yanking that invention back into the hands of the VA would benefit anyone but the VA. If it now costs $1000 per pill, tripling that amount would typically tell you what it would cost for the government to implement it.

    Perhaps the way to solve this particular problem is Executive Order ##### – “Patent protections dismissed for inventions while a government Doctor.” Make everything public domain. If some company paid him $400 mil for thie pill, then GREAT!!!! but they have an invention that anyone can make without patent protection.

    The market would set the price – the company who paid him $400 million would almost certainly want the money back. Now who do you think that THEY could hire to make that come true? I imagine for that kind of change, they too would be protected from any wrongdoing… per se…

    1. I doubt if the government will even look into fixing it, in fact I think the government is working as it’s supposed to, in the governments opinion. I am very disappointed that the resources of the va were stolen again, and why did Egypt get the first affordable price for sovaldi? I know this Dr was born in Egypt, is he also a patriot to Egypt? The U$A Inc is full of propaganda, we will never know the truth,

  11. Anyone who has anything to do with any VA Health Care professional is putting their health and life at serious risk.

    1. Amen!

      I would choose a Haitian Witch Dr. with a bag of chicken bones over any VA Dr. and I bet I would be able to understand the Haitian Witch Dr. better than Abu.

  12. Give Dr. Schinazi a couple really darkened eyes and place a light bulb in his mouth and you would have a very convincing “Dr. Fester” from “The Addams Family”.

  13. This should be easy to clear up if someone wants to pursue it over a long period of time since Shinazi and the VA would likely fight it.

    Search for any research on sufosbuvir. If Shinazis name is on it, was the VA involved as a research partner? Often this kind of research involves a team. Were other VA employees on that team? If so, there has to be grant or funding proposals, a review by the VAs Institutional Review Board since it involves testing on human subjects and Informed Consent forms signed by veterans taking part. There is also likely a mention of compensation for test subjects in the research proposal. If any of this involved the VA, then those documents are available through FOIA.
    A quick glance at PubMed using Shinazi as a search term shows 481 results. A search on Shinazi RF returns 438 results that he has been involved in, many of the HIV, HBV and HCV research. The search can be narrowed by using his name as above, and HCV. That produces 48 results. Many appear to be researching various drug treatments. When you view those results, you can click on the upper left and view the Abstract text. Under Author Information, many show Department of Veterans Affairs, Decatur, GA, so it certainly appears as if the VA was supporting his research.
    The interesting result is number 5. It’s titled, “Cost analysis of sufosbuvir/ribavirin versus sufosbuvir/simeprevir for genotype 1 hepatitis C virus in interferon-ineligible/intolerant individuals.” dated May, 2014. At the bottom of that study, it says:

    Copyright 2014 By the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases. This article has been contributed to by U.S. Government employees and their work is in the public domain in the USA.

    Getting any of the funding proposals would be interesting, as would digging through more of those PubMed results.

    1. I could just imagine this scenario: Veteran agrees to participate in HVC Study (presuming they even consented) and say that veteran receives payment for participating. Then the VA stating that since they are a Service Connected Disabled Veteran receiving Compensation, deducting said compensation back to VA.
      ^
      That’s just a very loose hypothesis and a tad flippant but you get my drift of level of ridiculousness.

      One has to wonder just how many Active Duty were unknowingly given Hep C in the many mobility shots given before deploying to the Big Cat Litter Box called The Middle East? I am betting they did something to ensure there would BE a *need* for his new vaccine. Big Pharma is plain evil and personifies GREED.

      1. Without the funding proosals, or someone coming forward who participated, it’s tough to know if there was much compensation if any.
        It is typical to pay a stipend, but it’s minimal. Travel or other costs might be reimbursed, but given the prevalence of HCV and desperate veterans being a captive audience, I bet any compensation was very minimal.

  14. What is really disturbing is you do not read much at all about The Scientific Method being used in these studies as in what’s called “Double Blind Tests”, meaning, “Control Groups”…I personally would be wary of what else you may be getting infected WITH by taking this “cure” and at what other “costs” such as horrid side effects? I know with a three drug cocktail I am on, when that went through Clinical Trials, not every patient was a “fit” for participating in same, which makes me wonder how many Veterans are unknowingly walking around with a ticking time bomb of a disease waiting to raise it’s head…and probably way before the FDA at a future date finally discloses all the ill-side-effects and even deaths from this “rushed science”…by reading and watching complete story, you can tell this was $$$$ motivated, not so much about “curing infected veterans”…and will go on a limb and even suggest the VA infected many Vets to ENSURE the BA would have a NEED for this expensive medicine.

    This Dr. seems like the “Bernie Madoff of Big Pharma”.

    1. You read that cost analysis I mentioned above, and you wonder if he had a financial interest in pushing certain treatments.
      I seem to recall ethical requirements in research require having to disclose any possible financial interest a researcher may have.

      1. I am only assuming the VHA has been effectively made exempt of such ethical requirements. THAT would be too much like that alien thing called ‘accountability’.

      2. In the instances when I reviewed research proposals, the VA and DOD had to declare ethical issues like this, specify whether human subjects were being tested, how Informed Consent was obtained and that an Institutional Review Board was required because of the human testing required. I recall they often had to specify what their plan of action was for any human subjects having adverse events from any medication given.

        But that was in competition for money independent from the VA and DoD. I don’t know what their procedures are or how sloppy they may be if everything was internal.

        For all I know their internal peer review consisted of passing their research around the table to their buddies.

        I do recall looking over many research projects the VA and DoD did on Gulf War Veterans. It was shocking how many were on PTSD since that was the conclusion they wanted.
        There were plenty of VA doctors who knew how to game the system.
        Doctor A would be the lead author on a project, with Doctor B, Doctor C and Doctor D as part of their team. Another research project would be very similar to the first, but with a slightly different title. Doctor B would be the lead author, with Doctor A, Doctor C and Doctor D on the team.
        It was like a jobs program for hack doctors, and also why after 10-15 years of research and upwards of $200 million spent, the VA had no treatments for Gulf War Illnesses.
        Given the resources and staff available to the VA and DoD for helping a doctor write their proposal, they were usually very thorough and competitive. Unfortunately, their thinking was in a rut and they often offered the same old crap to research.

      3. Sounds like a round-robin-medical-Ponzi-scheme…and reason I earlier alluded to it sounding like a Madoff type of scheme…and with ALL that $$$, does it make anyone else wonder WHY the VA Sec. had the need to rob a handful of Million$ from the Choice Program, specifically for Hep C ‘Cure’ and of course, the Denver Black Hole Construction Project?

        Something just does not settle right. Doubt anyone will see the real numbers and when anyone has to use a “shell-company” offshore and tax-exempt, is DEFINITELY someone with a lot to conceal and hide.
        Betting we are only seeing a pimple on the tip of the iceberg.

        The VA is kind of like the ‘dark/shadow government’ on that great series “The X-Files”. The VA is one big X-File.

      4. Just know that if nobody in Congress gets upset over this, they were likely using insider knowledge to invest in his company or Gilead.

      5. That’s what I was sort of alluding to: Illegal Insider Trading…on steroids. VA Style.
        Would there be any way to determine if, and how many VA Upper Management and Members of Congress that are Stock Holders in Gilead Sciences?
        I write that with the word’s of the full company name that appears on my original manufacturing bottle from Gilead Sciences on the 3-Drug Cocktail I must take rest of my life. Would be interesting to know if the VA skirts the law by using only HALF of the company’s full name such as it has been with this Hep CV…am only seeing “Gilead”, not “Gilead Sciences”…just trying to use Critical Thinking here to see how or if the VA is using “partial semantics” to obscure the VA and “Gilead” and a manufactured degree of separation?
        This just screams Conflict of Interest and still have to wonder why VA Sec. McDonald needed what, $20++ Million stolen from the Choice Program to pay for this Hep CV when if the VA was used to research and produce this drug, and on backs and lives of vets, it sure seems the VA should have acquired this new drug “at cost”, not just 50% off the “Gilead Sciences Price”.
        Am thinking quite a few pockets were stuffed with cash over this and plan to take this all printed articles from today to when I see next my own civilian Infectious Disease Specialist in two weeks and see what she has to further say about this and this Dr. Schinazi because if ANYONE knows, she would because she is quite respected Nationally and Internationally from her research of Infectious Disease and proper Clinical Studies on same drugs.
        She is the same very good Dr. whom told me 8 years ago that if I continued to use the VA for my special “gifts” given to me, that I would be placing my life in harm’s way…this was after the VA refused to acknowledge the Genotype and Phenotype that showed irrefutable medical proof that ONLY ONE three drug cocktail would work for me due to my particular nasty strain being entirely resistant to all others and two complete Classes of Meds…and the VA wanted to instead place me on meds from early 1990’s because…they were cheaper…had nothing to do with ‘Science’…glad I followed my civilian Specialist’s advice and just have stuck with using Medicare rather than the VA for my medical because the VA has quite the antiquated Pharmacy Formulary in many areas, esp. Mental Health RX’s and Infectious Disease RX’s and my Civilian Infectious Specialist bluntly told me that the VA was going to facilitate my life ending earlier by what they were doing; ignoring science and her letter accompanying the Genotype/Phenotype mapping and resistance tests I tried to get the VA to respect.

  15. Steal your employers time and resources, and sell it back to them because they are a group of dysfunctionals? Sounds about right for VA. He should have back charged them for time he spent actually working for them as it slowed down his work. LOL! He should have retired from VA first, but he obviously did not have the resources to succeed without them. Torn on this as if we give back to Government they will just give it to the whales fund, or pay someone a quarter million to move, why we still have homeless Veterans. I would think it should go to Veterans fund, as they were obviously the Lab rats. The bright side is, there is actually people thinking and creative at the VA at least some of the time. I am sure he no longer works there now?

  16. I see the good old VA Dr. recieved .4billion. Who was the recipient of the 11 billion dollars? Who in the VA wouldn’t invest, and protect? VA must have known he owned a pharmacutical company. Hell, if you own a pharmacutical company, and you spend 7/8 of your time, and I am sure he was paid for 8/8 of his time, with VA, then was he selling anything? To anyone? The entire thing sounds like VA found something else to cover up.I agree with not voting for any incumbant. This government has gone to pot. No, pot is illegal.

    1. Jo3n — Just want to point out that he owns a number of shell Pharmaceutical companies. See link below

      Read more at Reuters–https://www.reuters.com/article/2011/11/22/us-pharmasset-founder-idUSTRE7AL2ES20111122#Mg7qwKTia34AsB7v.99

      Also want to point out that the company he sold in the article, Pharmasset was originally found by him and his partner in the tiny island country of Barbados. It was just a shell company on paper only.

      1. So, am I too understand, this Dr., and I have to think he had partners, created this company while working at VA, using Veterans as guinnea pigs, all funded by taxpayers? Is this all legal? Even if it is, I hope this man rots in hell. And, thanks to the Vets who possibly lost their lives for him to be succesful. I know people who are supposedly free of hep-c.I am grateful for the cure. Too bad that there is deceit, graff, unknowing victoms, and greed in the wake of it. Thanks for info.

      2. What better way to block investigations of wrong doing once he sells out than to create foreign shell companies.

  17. He infected Veterans like lab Rats.There is a special place in Hell.for these low life scum anyone that ups the price of lifesaving medicine doesn’t deserve to breath .Sorry for my Rant I have anxiety &Depression everyday I read read the horrible shit these people do to Veterans. I really don’t hate people in other countries .I don’t hate my country either we run this risk of getting F ked right here everyday this country has lost it way thanks to this Asshole and all his cronies in DC God Help us All

  18. Great article Ben.

    A little research on Dr. Raymond Schinazi and his former company Pharmasset using the resources of “clinicaltrials.gov”, “pubmed.gov”, “Wikipedia.com” and google it is very clear that Dr. Schinazi is lying.

    It is profoundly clear that Dr. Schinazi has personally profited in the billions of dollars using his positions as Senior Research Career Scientist at the Atlanta Department of Veterans Affairs and Director of the Scientific Working Group on Viral Eradication within the NIH.

    His personal stated philosophy is “The philosophy is very simple. Good drugs save lives and a major side effect is they can also make you rich,”

    His company Pharmasset was originally named “Pharmaceutical Assets” and was cofounded with Dr. Dennis Liotta in the tiny island country of Barbados. Their initial business plan was to create pharmaceutical assets that would be sold to companies.

    With Dr. Schainazi’s positions with the VA and NIH and Dr. Liotta’s position as Executive Director Emory Institute for Drug Development they certainly have ample resources through grants from both the VA and NIH, with a workforce of the Institute for Drug Development at Emory, and the use of Veterans as human subjects in their research.

    Needing only to provide shell companies to receive the profits of sales of the pharmaceutical assets they have developed and tested at no cost to themselves or their shell companies. Using up the research budget of both the VA and NIH and not only collecting paychecks but also keeping portions of the Grant money for themselves.

    Additional examples of Dr. Schainazi and Dr. Liotta use of their positions are:

    1.) $168 million from Roche Inc.
    2.) Sale of Triangle Pharmaceuticals, founded by Dr. Schainazi and Dr. Liotta, to Gilead in 2003 for $464 million
    3.) Also a payment from Gilead of $540 million for the sale of future royalties on Emtriva

    Dr. Schainazi also has stated that they have future potential sales with Merck & Co Inc (MRK.N), Boehringer Ingelheim, Johnson & Johnson (JNJ.N) and Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc (VRTX.O)

    Regarding full discloser on conflicts of interest by Dr. Schainazi. Not Happening! Below is a link to one of Dr. Schainazi’s published research papers
    on this wonder drug. Note while he does disclose he is the founder and major share holder of RFS Pharma LLC in the acknowledgement section . He does not list anything for himself in the conflict of interest section.

    Also noted in the acknowledgement section the funding for the research was from the NIH and VA.

    “https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/liv.12423/epdf”

    Regarding the safety of this new drug.

    It is unknown at this time unless an individual with Hep C fit into the very narrow limiting criteria of persons who were accepted into the study. It appears safe for them. But for the general population of persons with Hep C that didn’t fit into the confines it is a crap shoot.

    Although the drug was limited to testing on people with good health the history of changes for the first and only study I looked at on clinicaltrials.gov showed a clear deception when a large portion of the limiting criteria’s were removed from the study final report. To me that is intentional fraud.

    Read more at Reutershttps://www.reuters.com/article/2011/11/22/us-pharmasset-founder-idUSTRE7AL2ES20111122#Mg7qwKTia34AsB7v.99

    1. Very good research. I was finding similar stuff glancing through PubMed.
      To me, this is a bigger scandal than this guy getting rich off of sick vets. Look at any of his research involving the VA, and you have to wonder who reviewed his proposals and granted funding, and how did any of it ever pass an Institutional Review Board.
      It shows the entire research funding process of the VA is completely broken, if not outright corrupted.

  19. This SOB needs to be strung up with piano wire. I don’t give a damn if he takes it personally. The entire VA system is a national disgrace and unless every POS that has personally benefited from screwing veterans is tried, convicted and strung up, we will continue to get screwed.

    1. Obviously, he doesn’t care about soldiers or veterans. Only about feathering his own nest!! (Would scum, lowlife, POS, or other more unprintable terms suffice for this guy)

  20. I’m pretty certain he used VA research equipment, etc. and then used hepatitis infected veterans as his human incubators. He makes big bucks on all this; VA gets his drug at a discount with all the kickbacks included….The sick veterans, what happens to them? They get thrown under the bus! It’s just business as usual!

  21. The theft of funds for veterans is s.o.p. I served in the early 80s got a general discharge after 2 years. I’m not eligible for benefits, but I qualified for HCV it was the only thing I got free from the government, they were extremely careless with inoculations, I just want our government to notify and test all the veterans who were involved. The integrity of the Dr who sold the cure that cured me is questionable for sure, he works in the most infected organization, creating the cure then selling it for $400,000,000. we need this cure I’m thankful for it

  22. How many test drugs are being used on veterans and the veteran not told it’s experimental?

    What can a veteran do if they do use experimental drugs on them.

    Any stats on how many veterans were used as Ginny pigs.

    Any drug discovered by the VA should be the property of the government and to royalties put back into the VA system to pay for patient care and disability payments.

    The doctor should no get one red cent.maybe a bonus.that’s all.

    How many veterans died during testing.what are the side effects.

  23. So why doesn’t the Federal Government sue this POS? The fed loves to go after individuals and corporations for all sorts of things like making a pond on your own property, trying to take land away you have owned for years and dozens of other things. He was a VA doctor 7/8th of the time? Show me his records where he specifically can show where he was and at what times he devoted this 1/8th of his time? I’ll bet he can’t. No one can tell me he did this all on his own time, away from the VA and did not use any VA resources. If he worked 48 hours a week at the VA, that means he spent 6 hours a week in development, research, testing and legal matters? Yea, right. Maybe we should rename him Dr Shit-Nazi?

    1. I’ve been involved enough in reviewing veterans medical research proposals over the years to know that any funding proposal he submitted would include what his team might be, what facility may be supporting him, whether human test subjects were involved and if so, that a VA IRB was conducted, and how consent would be handled, etc.
      Getting the funding proposals for his research would show exactly how much the VA supported him over the years.
      It would also show the pittance any veteran test subject may have been given to participate in his research.
      The tough part is that funding proposals are usually considered proprietary.
      Any published research paper would likely include lots of this information though, and if he did this as a VA employee, it should be in the public domain.

  24. Ok, this is my opinion as to what this scumbucket did!

    This VA doctor worked at a VHA (7/8 of a work day),(possibly) using veterans as “guinea pigs” for his ‘research & development’ (R&D) for a “cure” of a “HepC drug”.
    Then he would, allegedly, go to his “company” (for the remaining 1/8 of the work day) to do his R & D.

    Questions that were not asked or answered:

    1.)Was his “company” on VHA property? Yes or No?
    1.a.) If “yes”, Was he using VHA equipment, or anything belonging to VHA, in his R&D?
    1.b.) If No, How did he “Fund his R&D”? Did taxpayers “fund” all the $$$ for equipment, chemicals etc., for this R&D? Or, was he independently wealthy?
    2.) Was he, or was he not, “experimenting on veterans” during the R&D research to “try out his miracle pill”? Who were his “guinea pigs”?
    3.) During his “experimentations” were there any negative adverse affects (on his guinea pigs)? Did anyone get worse? Did anyone DIE? Basically, how many failures before success?
    4.) How long did his R&D take? From beginning to end how many years did it take? What was the total cost?

    If y’all notice, I didn’t even touch upon the $$$ issue of his selling his “pharma company” for such a ridiculous profit ($400 million)!
    Or, how much big pharma is charging per pill for “treatment” vs. how much it costs to make each pill?!
    How about the “gutting of the Choice Program” of $50 million to cure veterans of this “Murderous Disease”?!
    Where is that money going or gone to??? How many veterans have been cured since that $$$ was taken?
    Since the “gutting of the Choice Program”, why was that Vet turned away? Told to “come back next year” is an insult!
    If y’all watch the video and read some of the “comments”, a few were actually wanting to set up a “go fund me account” to help that veteran! It appears, more and more, civilians are wanting to do more than what our government is required to do! That is sad!

    There sure are MANY unanswered questions!!!!!

  25. Conflict of interest. Presumably this is what it is. I’m wondering just how many sick veterans did Dr. Schinzai experiment on at the VA in getting this cure for hepatitis C? Did Schinzai subject sick veterans to medical experiments without the veterans knowledge and consent? Has there been any follow up investigations done on Dr. Schinzai yet? Who is getting on board in thoroughly investigating Schinzai? Anybody? I wouldn’t be naive enough to believe VAOIG is going to do that. Did Schinzai benefit from using veterans to make himself rich? If sick veterans were used in his experiments; don’t veterans, by law, have the right to medical care for hepatitis C?….And I also have to wonder how many veterans got infected with hepatitis just from getting care at the VA? I’m talking about improper sanitation procedures at the VA.

  26. OT–But, as crazyelf and I and others have been saying…ISIS has already been in USA and our POTUS is only looking at this as a way for gun control…meaning trying to disarm citizens…law abiding citizens. Stock-up while you legally can because Obama is STILL Hell-Bent on bring hundreds of thousands of these potential Trojan Horse terrorists amongst the refugees into the USA.
    Also, notice how POTUS now has the DOJ going to Chicago to defend the families of Black Lives Matter…even after that family was given several MILLIONS of Tax Free $$$$$…nevermind the thuglet WAS committing a crime and refused to obey police.

    Meanwhile vets are dying and being mistreated and POTUS has YET to utilize the DOJ to prosecute ANY of these VA employees.
    TOTAL FAIL.
    Oh, almost forgot, The First Lady just a day ago blamed the problems in America on…wait for it…White People!!! Try to tell me he cares at ALL about veterans? Not At ALL!

    1. @namnibor,
      I heard Obamy and wife are trying to dismantle the NRA.
      I don’t believe that will ever happen, but who knows what’s going on in his sick mind.
      As Thomas Jefferson said;
      “Free men don’t need permission to bear arms!”

      1. @namnibor,
        The wife just informed me Hitlery Clinton is also campaigning on dismantling the NRA as well.
        Democratic shitbags!

  27. Benjamin–That was NOT isolated to “Careless administration of vaccines in Vietnam”…this careless practice definitely carried-on through all of the 1980’s as well, to include the Dessert Storm/Gulf War. Mobility Shots in the early 1990’s also not only gave people the mysterious “Gulf War Illnesses” and also a slew of other infections from the still utilized Air Guns that cross-contaminated/infected from one to another in the lines. Just wanted to clarify this because I as well as many others are living with crap from their “experiments” on us.
    The Infectious Diseases given to me were from USAF not uses tested blood products and/or unsterile surgical environment. Interestingly enough, that SAME corporation of BIG PHARMA, Gilead Sciences, is whom makes the VERY expensive 3-Drug Cocktail called Atripla I take, which is just under $3000. for 30 tablets. Yes, $100. per tablet sounds better than this new Hep C Drug at $1000. per tablet, but still ridiculous when people in other Countries are only paying $75. for that same 30 tablet RX, leaving we in the USA to recoup forever the R&D costs and subsidizing for rest of world.

    I think that this VA Dr. really is out of line from an ethical point of view in allowing such a huge price even for Vets…and I think it’s a huge conflict of interest. This Dr. also is a PRIME EXAMPLE of how the VA partners with BIG PHARMA…but even my civilian Infectious Disease Dr. told me that this new Hep C Drug was RUSHED and did NOT go through proper Clinical Trials and she suspects that Veterans were the test rabbits on this, FYI.

    Makes one wonder how many Vets were NOT taken care of properly by the sliver of time this VA Dr. gave to the VA, whereas 7/8 of his time was dedicated to Big Pharma…which makes me think this prioritizes Big Pharma rather than properly taking care of Vets.

    Sounds like this VA Dr. is a greedy SOB because it sure seems to me since he used 7/8th of his VA Employee time to research and produce this, then he should NOT be charging the VA outrageous $$$ even at 50% of that cost…greedy basTURD…definitely a conflict of interest on steroids here.

      1. In 1976 I was in Navy bootcamp.
        The company commander asked for volunteers who were not afraid of blood.
        Sorry to say, I volunteered.
        My job was to follow the corpsman down the line, wiping arms with a towel..
        Sailors in formation, heel to toe.
        Jetgun shot one, then the next.
        I had one towel. No gloves. No alcohol. No nothing.
        Wipe one arm, then wipe another arm.
        Same towel.
        When too bloody, I got another towel.

        In 1999 I found out I have Hep C.

        Cannabis resin extract seems to keep it from manifesting.

        I would not take any drug from VA or pharma for any reason.

        Bless up, one and all. Thank you for the great comments and research here.

  28. the last 4 letters of your name spell NAZI .. enough said.. white eyes go home and take your trash with you.. this is NOT your country

    1. Yeah, that IS a rather unfortunate last name. I would be very wary. What’s next? A DEEP SLEEPING PILL in which you may never wake-up made by someone named Kevorkian ?

  29. It’s not clear from your article if he was using VA time or resources to create the cure. If not, I say it’s all his and he can do whatever he wants with it. He’s not “property of the government” like a service member, and if it wasn’t for the prospect of making some money from the invention of the drug, he probably wouldn’t have invested time or personal resources into the creation of it. And then where would Hep C patients be? Dead…because there would be no cure. My dad has Hep C, and as much as it pains me to find out the huge markup on this drug, I’m glad it was invented.

    I do believe that he should have given something along the lines of a 60-70% discount to the VA, but that’s his choice and his conscience. Hopefully this thing gets cheaper soon, especially if a competing cure can be found.

    1. The process to develop the drug patent is not new. Dr. Schinazi used the VA facilities to develop the compound.. Several lawsuits challenged it and lost in Fed court, but in India and other countries won, breaking the patent. These countries pay $1500. for the full course of treatment verses the enormous price tag the VA pays. The drug in question is sofosbuvir =…”Zombie drugs — those unworthy of patent protection because they are not novel and truly innovative — are being artificially kept alive to the financial detriment of patients and taxpayers,”. “This system is both broken and rigged.” Sec Bob McDonald, has the power to break this patent. We have a petition for him to do so, please sign it. https://www.change.org/p/va-secretary-robert-mcdonald-use-va-s-emergency-powers-and-override-the-patents-on-high-priced-hepatitis-c-medicines

      1. How does the Secretary have the “power to break” the patent? Sounds like a long drawn out court case for multiple attorneys- costing probably millions.

      2. Wade the specific law allowing such an action is 28 U.S.C. subsection 1498. Behind the legalese, the law allows federal agencies to manufacturer or use any invention without authorization from the patent holder.

      3. Appreciate the reply- but still would involve the law and fighting and attorneys and not what any one person wants or says. Agree this is outrageous, but would take an army to fight it.

      4. The the federal court ruled it was not a federal product, that settles it. That is what courts are for, so the rest is meaningless. As for India, they are a foreign country, and breaking the patent is called “stealing”.
        Breaking patents is stupid and counter-productive. If people can’t make money developing new drugs, they do something else. Then, no drugs. Without patent protection, the HCV drugs would not have been developed, and the 3 million people with hepatitis C virus infection would develop cirrhosis and liver cancer. So – it’s not a brilliant move to destroy a system that is working. Everyone in America wants something for free, but, sadly, the world doesn’t work that way.

    2. I don’t disagree with what you say, but given the number of research papers on PubMed by this guy, you can bet some of them were supported by the VA.
      For example, if his final study showing the drug could cure HCV was completely private, but the other 47 research projects excluding other treatments were supported by the VA, then one could conclude his final research greatly benefited from the VA and veterans.

    3. I forgot to add…those 47 research projects were those that survived peer review and were published. How many other research projects did the VA support that did not result in publication.

  30. He is definitely excrement.
    That being said I am sure this is a very low end profiteer that pissed off the wrong people, otherwise you would never hear about it. This amount is schillings. Yes not only doctors but pharmaceutical companied as well are well known for utilizing veterans to “test” er I mean treat.

  31. I’m blown away by this. Conflict of interest for sure. As you say, most companies make their employees sign something so that inventions belong to the company! Real dumb and the vets lose again!

    1. Americans can not trust our government/FDA/VA or big pharma. When my daughter was diagnosed, we billed out 200K to our insurance company for medications and treatments. I got sick of them using my baby as a “test subject” so we went out of the country for fetal stem cell treatment and she has been fine ever since. The worst part is her doc knew it was going to work. UGH

    2. The man – on his own time – develops a cure for a deadly disease that infects 3 million Americans. Yet, he is a bad guy? What have you done that helped 3 million Americans avoid a painful death? Further, we should reward people who save millions of lives. Money motivates people. Do you work from free? Meanwhile, we spend billions of sports figures, stadiums, etc – and no complaints. I say, reward the people who save lives. As far as we know, he did this on his own time, with his own money. No government resources were used. Yet, when a man accomplishes a great thing, and saves millions of lives, there are always little worms who try to shoot him down. Pathetic.

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