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Peginterferon alfa-2a

Peginterferon alfa-2a
Clinical data
Trade namesPegasys, others
AHFS/Drugs.comProfessional Drug Facts
MedlinePlusa605029
License data
Pregnancy
category
  • AU: B3
Routes of
administration
Subcutaneous injection
ATC code
Legal status
Legal status
  • AU: S4 (Prescription only)
  • UK: POM (Prescription only)
  • US: WARNING[1]Rx-only
  • EU: Rx-only[2]
  • In general: ℞ (Prescription only)
Identifiers
CAS Number
DrugBank
ChemSpider
  • none
UNII
KEGG
ChEMBL
Chemical and physical data
FormulaC860H1353N227O255S9
Molar mass19241.16 g·mol−1
 ☒NcheckY (what is this?)  (verify)

Pegylated interferon alfa-2a, sold under the brand name Pegasys among others, is medication used to treat hepatitis C and hepatitis B.[3] For hepatitis C it is typically used together with ribavirin and cure rates are between 24 and 92%.[3][4] For hepatitis B it may be used alone.[5] It is given by injection 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 include psychosis, autoimmune disorders, blood clots, or infections.[3] Use with ribavirin is not recommended during pregnancy.[3] Pegylated interferon alfa-2a is in the alpha interferon family of medications.[3] It is pegylated 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 the World Health Organization's List of Essential Medicines.[7]

  1. ^ "FDA-sourced list of all drugs with black box warnings (Use Download Full Results and View Query links.)". nctr-crs.fda.gov. FDA. Retrieved 22 October 2023.
  2. ^ "Pegasys EPAR". European Medicines Agency (EMA). 20 June 2002. Retrieved 5 September 2024.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h "Peginterferon Alfa-2a (Professional Patient Advice) - Drugs.com". www.drugs.com. Archived from the original on 16 January 2017. Retrieved 12 January 2017.
  4. ^ "Pegasys 135 mcg and 180 mcg solution for injection in pre-filled pen - Summary of Product Characteristics (SPC) - (eMC)". www.medicines.org.uk. Archived from the original on 13 January 2017. Retrieved 12 January 2017.
  5. ^ British national formulary : BNF 69 (69 ed.). British Medical Association. 2015. p. 639. ISBN 9780857111562.
  6. ^ a b "Peginterferon alfa-2a (Pegasys) - Treatment - Hepatitis C Online". www.hepatitisc.uw.edu. Archived from the original on 23 December 2016. Retrieved 12 January 2017.
  7. ^ World Health Organization (2019). World Health Organization model list of essential medicines: 21st list 2019. Geneva: World Health Organization. hdl:10665/325771. WHO/MVP/EMP/IAU/2019.06. License: CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO.

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