Hepatitis C Support Group

peginterferon alfa-2b, Is the redi pen and ribavarin combo treatment. The shot is taken once a week with the dose your doctor perscribes. Pegasys ( I think)is everyday shot, and the other one I dont know, but the first one is pretty standard,barb

Try Be In Charge. I was told that the medicine in the redipen and the other shot was the same medicine. Redipen is just a more expensive delivery system.

The two main tx are similar but different. Both are pegylated (bacisally like time released in my mind).
A better explanation:
The additon of polyethylene glycol to the interferon, through a process known as pegylation, enhances the half-life of the interferon when compared to its native form.

The one you mentioned from Scherring-Plough - peginterferon alfa-2b(PegIntron) combined with ribavirin (Rebetol)

The other one from Roche - peginterferon alfa-2a (Pegasys) combined with ribavirin (Copegus)

Both are done one shot a week plus the riba pills every day.

There is also a daily shot tx that some take: Infergen
infergen.com/3-About_Infergen/" title="http://www.infergen.com/3-About_Infergen/" target="_blank"> http://www.infergen.com/3-About_In...
http://www.rxlist.com/infergen-dru...
DRUG DESCRIPTION

Interferon alfacon-1 is a recombinant non-naturally occurring type-I interferon. The 166-amino acid sequence of Interferon alfacon-1 was derived by scanning the sequences of several natural interferon alpha subtypes and assigning the most frequently observed amino acid in each corresponding position.1 Four additional amino acid changes were made to facilitate the molecular construction, and a corresponding synthetic DNA sequence was constructed using chemical synthesis methodology. Interferon alfacon-1 differs from interferon alfa-2b at 20/166 amino acids (88% homology), and comparison with interferon-beta shows identity at over 30% of the amino acid positions. Interferon alfacon-1 is produced in Escherichia coli (E. coli) cells that have been genetically altered by insertion of a synthetically constructed sequence that codes for Interferon alfacon-1. Prior to final purification, Interferon alfacon-1 is allowed to oxidize to its native state, and its final purity is achieved by sequential passage over a series of chromatography columns. This protein has a molecular weight of 19,434 daltons.

INFERGEN is a sterile, clear, colorless, preservative-free liquid formulated with 100 mM sodium chloride and 27 mM sodium phosphate at pH 7.0 ± 0.2. The product is available in single-use vials containing 9 mcg and 15 mcg Interferon alfacon-1 at a fill volume of 0.3 mL and 0.5 mL, respectively. INFERGEN vials contain 0.03 mg/mL Interferon alfacon-1, 5.9 mg/mL sodium chloride, and 3.8 mg/mL sodium phosphate in Water for Injection, USP. INFERGEN is to be administered undiluted by subcutaneous (SC) injection.