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Chronic hepatitis C infection Clinical criteria: Treatment criteria: Must be treated in an accredited treatment centre. Population criteria: Patient must be at least 18 years of age, AND Patient must not be pregnant or breastfeeding, and must be using an effective form of contraception if female and of child-bearing age. Patient must have compensated liver disease, AND Patient must not have received prior interferon alfa or peginterferon alfa treatment for hepatitis C, AND Patient must have a contraindication to ribavirin, AND The treatment must cease unless the results of an HCV RNA quantitative assay at week 12 (performed at the same laboratory using the same test) show that plasma HCV RNA has become undetectable or the viral load has decreased by at least a 2 log drop, AND The treatment must be limited to a maximum duration of 48 weeks. Evidence of chronic hepatitis C infection (repeatedly anti-HCV positive and HCV RNA positive) must be documented in the patient's medical records.
“Interferons bind to specific receptors on the cell surface initiating a complex intracellular signalling pathway and rapid activation of gene transcription. Interferon-stimulated genes modulate many biological effects including the inhibition of viral replication in infected cells, inhibition of cell proliferation, and immunomodulation.”
“After IV administration, the terminal half-life of peginterferon alfa-2a in healthy subjects is approximately 60 h compared to 3 – 4 h for standard interferon. A mean elimination half-life of 160 h (84 – 353 h) at primary elimination phase was observed in patients after subcutaneous (SC) administration of Pegasys.”
Working under the parallel aged-care framework? Aged-care equivalent →
Curated subset. The full adverse-effect list is in the TGA Product Information; click any citation above to open it.