Amgen is promoting Infergen for chronic hepatitis C.
Hepatitis C is one of the many types of viral hepatitis. It's usually transmitted parenterally...IV drug use, accidental needle sticks, hemodialysis, etc.
About 4 million people are now infected with hepatitis C...it's four times as common as HIV. Most of them develop the chronic form that can lead to cirrhosis...liver failure...or liver cancer.
Infergen (interferon alfacon-1) is a synthetic interferon. Interferons stimulate the immune system to inhibit the virus.
For initial therapy, Infergen is comparable to using Intron A or Roferon A.
Its niche will be in treating resistant patients. Some of them respond to high doses of Infergen.
Infergen causes similar side effects as the other interferons...flu-like symptoms, depression, etc.
JAMA 1997;277:1268. NIH Consensus Statement Online 1997;15(3): in press.