What is the Interferon treatment?
Alpha Interferon is injected three times per week and is effective for approximately 50% of patients. However, when these same patients were retested for the virus six months later, more than half had relapsed and the virus was present again in their bloodstream. Research has determined that using Pegylated Alpha Interferons (PEG) may provide additional benefits to the patient infected with HCV, since the drug only needs to be administered once a week. Studies have also shown that Pegylated Alpha Interferons are more effective in producing a sustained viral response in patients with Chronic Hepatitis C than their Non-Pegylated counterparts. Combining either type of Pegylated Interferon (Alpha-2a or Alpha-2b) with Ribavirin (combination therapy) has also produced better results than either treatment used alone. (mono-therapy) Patients with Genotype 1 virus are treated for 48 weeks; those with Genotype 2 and 3 may do well in 24 weeks. If there is no measurable drop in viral load after si
