How Hepatitis C is Treated

The current treatment recommended by the National Institutes of Health is pegylated alpha interferons in combination with the antiviral drug ribavirin.

What are Pegylated Alpha Interferons?

Alpha Interferons Already Exist in Your Body. Alpha interferons are proteins made naturally by your body to boost your immune system and defend against invaders. Sometimes your body doesn't make enough natural interferon to help you defeat the hepatitis C virus. That's why you need interferon-based therapy.

Pegylated alpha interferons are manufactured by attaching a large water-soluble molecule (called polyethylene glycol) to the alpha interferon molecule. The drug works by protecting your healthy, uninfected cells from being taken over by the hepatitis C virus. These new molecules stay in the body longer and have shown to be more effective in treating chronic hepatitis C than non-pegylated interferon.

What is Ribavirin?

Ribavirin belongs to a group of drugs called nucleoside analogs. These drugs seem to prevent viruses from multiplying. Studies have found that the combination of ribavirin and pegylated alpha interferons is effective against chronic hepatitis C. Ribavirin cannot be used alone to treat chronic hepatitis C.

How is the Medication Administered?

Because it is a protein, pegylated alpha interferon must be taken by injection. If it were taken in pill form, stomach acids would break down the medicine before it reached the bloodstream. Injection allows it to enter your bloodstream directly and begin working immediately.

Your health care provider will show you how to prepare and measure your dose. You'll also learn how to inject yourself before beginning treatment. You may want to watch other patients describe their experiences with administering the drug.

Ribavirin is a capsule that can be swallowed with water or clear fruit juices.

How Often are the Treatments?

You likely will be instructed to take an injection once a week, and to swallow ribavirin capsules twice a day.

What is the Length of Therapy?

Therapy takes anywhere from six months up to one year to complete. During treatment your doctor will carefully monitor your blood and do other tests to see if it is helping your liver get better. Usually after six months of treatment, your doctor can determine if it is helping you. If the drugs do not seem to be working, your doctor may recommend you stop treatment, or he or she may change your treatment.

What are the Side Effects of Therapy?

Get more information about the side effects of treatment, which can be serious.

Before starting treatment, you should talk to your doctor about the possible side effects to decide if PEG-INTRON® (Peginterferon alfa-2b) Powder for Injection is right for you.

PEG-INTRON® is a treatment for some people who are infected with the chronic hepatitis C virus. However, PEG-INTRON® can have serious side effects that may cause death in rare cases. Before starting treatment, you should talk to your doctor about the possible side effects to decide if PEG-INTRON® is right for you. While taking PEG-INTRON®, you will need to see your doctor regularly for medical examinations and lab tests to make sure your treatment is working and to check for side effects.

The most serious possible side effects of PEG-INTRON® include:

Mental Health Problems and Suicide. PEG-INTRON® may cause patients to develop mood or behavioral problems. These can include irritability (getting easily upset) and depression (feeling bad about yourself, or feeling hopeless). Some patients may have aggressive behavior. Former drug addicts may fall back into drug addiction or overdose. Some patients think about hurting or killing themselves or other people and some have killed (suicide) or hurt themselves or others. You must tell your doctor if you are being treated for a mental illness or had treatment in the past for any mental illness, including depression and suicidal behavior. You should tell your doctor if you have ever been addicted to drugs or alcohol.

Heart problems. Some patients taking PEG-INTRON® may develop problems with their heart, including low blood pressure, fast heart rate, and very rarely, heart attacks. Tell your doctor if you have had any heart problems in the past.

Blood Problems. PEG-INTRON® commonly lowers two types of blood cells (white blood cells and platelets). In some patients, these blood counts may fall to dangerously low levels. If your blood counts become very low, this could lead to infections or bleeding.

Body Organ Problems. Certain symptoms like severe stomach pain may mean that your internal organs are being damaged.

New or Worsening Autoimmune Disease. Some patients taking PEG-INTRON® or PEG-INTRON®/REBETOL® (Ribavirin, USP) Capsules develop autoimmune diseases (a condition where the body's immune cells attack other cells or organs in the body), including rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, and psoriasis. In some patients who already have an autoimmune disease, the disease worsens on PEG-INTRON® and PEG-INTRON/REBETOL combination therapy.

While taking PEG-INTRON®, you should call your doctor immediately if you develop any of these symptoms: new or worsening mental health problems such as thoughts about hurting or killing yourself or others, trouble breathing, chest pain, severe stomach or lower back pain, bloody diarrhea or bloody bowel movements, high fever, bruising, bleeding, or decreased vision.

Finding More Information

The Be In Charge® Program provides all the Information You May Need. Before beginning treatment—and throughout the course of treatment—you will have questions. Your health care provider should always be your primary source of information about your condition and treatment.

In addition, Be In Charge, a free service sponsored by Schering Corporation, provides support and information to chronic hepatitis C patients 24 hours a day, 7 days a week by telephone. Trained Nurse Counselors can answer your questions, provide encouragement, and supply you with ongoing educational materials to help you maintain a healthy lifestyle. Get more information about Be In Charge.