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| Trade names | Pegasys, others |
| AHFS/Drugs.com | Professional Drug Facts |
| MedlinePlus | a605029 |
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| Routes of administration | Subcutaneous injection |
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| Formula | C860H1353N227O255S9 |
| Molar mass | 19241.16 g·mol−1 |
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Pegylated interferon alfa-2a, sold under the brand namePegasys among others, is medication used to treathepatitis C andhepatitis B.[3] For hepatitis C it is typically used together withribavirin and cure rates are between 24 and 92%.[3][4] For hepatitis B it may be used alone.[5] It is given byinjection under the skin.[3]
Side effects are common.[6] They may include headache, feeling tired, depression, trouble sleeping, hair loss, nausea, pain at the site of injection, and fever.[3] Severe side effects may includepsychosis,autoimmune disorders,blood clots, orinfections.[3] Use with ribavirin is not recommended duringpregnancy.[3] Pegylated interferon alfa-2a is in thealpha interferon family of medications.[3] It ispegylated to protect the molecule from breakdown.[6]
Pegylated interferon alfa-2a was approved for medical use in the United States in 2002.[3] It is on theWorld Health Organization's List of Essential Medicines.[7]
This drug is approved around the world for the treatment of chronichepatitis C (including people withHIV co-infection,cirrhosis, 'normal' levels ofALT) and has recently been approved (in theEU,U.S.,China and many other countries) for the treatment of chronichepatitis B. It is also used in the treatment of certain T-cell lymphomas, particularlymycosis fungoides.[citation needed]
Peginterferon alfa-2a is a long acting interferon. Interferons areproteins released in the body in response toviral infections.Interferons are important for fightingviruses in the body, for regulating reproduction ofcells, and for regulating the immune system.[8]
For genotype 1 hepatitis C treated with pegylated interferon alfa-2a orpegylated interferon alfa-2b combined withribavirin, it has been shown that genetic polymorphisms near the human IL28B gene, encoding interferon lambda 3, are associated with significant differences in response to the treatment. This finding, originally reported inNature,[9] showed genotype 1 hepatitis C patients carrying certain genetic variant alleles near the IL28B gene are more likely to achieve sustained virological response after the treatment than others. Another report in Nature demonstrated the same genetic variants are also associated with the natural clearance of the genotype 1 hepatitis C virus.[10]
It ispegylated with a branched 40 kg/mol PEG chain.[11]
Peginterferon alfa-2a is manufactured under the brand name Pegasys. In 2021,Roche Pharmaceuticals sold the worldwide rights of Pegasys (excluding China and Japan) to zr pharma& GmbH (pharma&).[12][13][14][15][16] In May 2022, Roche Australia transferred the sales and marketing of Pegasys to Echo Therapeutics Pty Ltd.[17]
ACochrane Review sought to determine whether interferon alfa-2a could be used as a treatment for individuals withneovascular age-related macular degeneration. They found no evidence of improved visual acuity with potential harm.[18]
