Peginterferon alfa-2a
| Clinical data | |
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| Trade names | Pegasys, others |
| AHFS/Drugs.com | Professional Drug Facts |
| MedlinePlus | a605029 |
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| Routes of administration |
subcutaneous |
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| Identifiers | |
| CAS Number | |
| DrugBank | |
| ChemSpider |
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| UNII | |
| KEGG | |
| ChEMBL | |
| Chemical and physical data | |
| Formula | C860H1353N227O255S9 |
| Molar mass | 19241 g/mol (unpegylated) 40000 g/mol (pegylated) |
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Pegylated interferon alfa-2a, sold under the brand name Pegasys among others, is medication used to treat hepatitis C and hepatitis B. For hepatitis C it is typically used together with ribavirin and cure rates are between 24 to 92%. For hepatitis B it may be used alone. It is given by injection under the skin.
Side effects are common. They may include headache, feeling tired, depression, trouble sleeping, hair loss, nausea, pain at the site of injection, and fever. Severe side effects may include psychosis, autoimmune disorders, blood clots, or infections. Use with ribavirin is not recommended during pregnancy. Pegylated interferon alfa-2a is in the alpha interferon family of medications. It is pegylated to protects the molecule from breakdown.
Pegylated interferon alfa-2a was approved for medical use in the United States in 2002. It is on the World Health Organization's List of Essential Medicines, the most effective and safe medicines needed in a health system. The wholesale cost in the developing world is between 500.00 and 4,800.00 USD for 12 weeks. In the United States this costs about 9,250.00 USD, while in the United Kingdom 12 weeks costs the NHS about 1492.80 pounds.
This drug is approved around the world for the treatment of chronic hepatitis C (including people with HIV co-infection, cirrhosis, 'normal' levels of ALT) and has recently been approved (in the EU, U.S., China and many other countries) for the treatment of chronic hepatitis B. It is also used in the treatment of certain T-cell lymphomas, particularly mycosis fungoides.
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