The Pharmaceutical Journal Vol 267 No 7176 p767-773
1 December 2001

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Pegylated interferon demonstrates long-lasting effect in hepatitis C

Peginterferon alfa-2a (Pegasys) shows long-term sustained virological effects in patients with chronic hepatitis C, according to data from ongoing phase III trials.

Dr Mark Swain, University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada, and colleagues found that greater than 99 per cent of patients who were hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA negative after 48 weeks of peginterferon alfa-2a treatment remained HCV RNA negative when assessed two to three years after stopping treatment.

Roche, manufacturer of Pegasys, expects the drug to be available in the United Kingdom during the middle of next year.

Data were presented at the 52nd annual meeting of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases.

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