Working with your doctor to start and continue hepatitis C
treatment is one of the most important health decisions you'll
ever make. Whether you are considering treatment with PEGASYS
and COPEGUS® (Ribavirin, USP), have just
started treatment, or want to review information about treatment, this
section is for you.
Keep reading this page for an introduction to PEGASYS or skip
ahead to How
PEGASYS Works or How to
Take PEGASYS.
Other important issues that you need to consider are effectiveness and side effects and safety.
See an animation of how PEGASYS works here.
If you're asking "Is PEGASYS Right for Me?"—start here.
If you have HIV and hepatitis C, you may want specific information about
how well PEGASYS works for people with coinfection.
For information about PEGASYS for the treatment of hepatitis B,
start here.
The Basics
PEGASYS for the treatment of hepatitis C:
- Is a once-a-week injection that works to
reduce the amount of hepatitis C virus in the body—for many*
people to a level where it can no longer be detected
- Helps the body's immune system fight
the hepatitis C virus
- Is the most prescribed medication of its kind
- Is often taken along with COPEGUS tablets (
several each day)—which have been shown to work well with
PEGASYS.
PEGASYS Safety Information
Serious adverse events in hepatitis C trials included
neuropsychiatric disorders, serious and severe bacterial infections,
bone marrow toxicity, cardiovascular disorders, hypersensitivity,
endocrine disorders, autoimmune disorders, pulmonary disorders,
colitis, pancreatitis and ophthalmologic disorders.
Please see complete product information for
PEGASYS and COPEGUS.