Pegasys is peginterferon alfa 2a, while pegintron is peginterferon alfa 2b. My doctor tried to put me on pegintron, but I had read that alfa 2a had showed better results for geno 1b, which I have. I am trying to find that magazine. I am sure my father has saved it some place. You should choose from what geno you are, will let you know as soon as I find it if not anyone else here know the answer...(What geno are you btw??)
Having relapsed after PegIntron 4 years ago I am now on my second week of Pegasys - biding my time until they come out with something better.
Telapriver is supposedly due out in about 2011 - they say. The 3 drug cocktail has better SVR rates than the existing 2 (and of course even more side effects).
Anyway, back to whats worse on the sides. I would say that the PegIntron was worse for me (at least so far - after only 2 Pegasys injections). I remember how awful I used to feel 24 hours after my PegIntron injection - and the headaches were unbearable. It appears that the time release mechanism of the Pegasys is more even and so far I havent had the feared headache. Of course I dont know if it will work any better. My Dr says we can do a viral load after 1 month to assess. Of course, the Pegasys is not pleasant and makes me feel like a more even tempered flue instead of severe flue.
Lindsay
I know that non-IFN treatment and shorter TX are the major goals of current research. I had a talk with my doctor, an infectious disease researcher and, though I think he is a bit on the conservative side, he does not believe hep c can be defeated without goosing up the overall immune response with interferon. I love the concept of targeting specific parts of the reproduction of the specific virus, but I just can't decide if I agree with him or not. I found one paper that said that one of the things that IFN did was to turn back on a gene for the destruction (apoptosis) of infected cells, that HEP C had turned off. It makes infected cells more recognizeable by killer T-cells. Interferance in reproduction can't do that. Time will tell.
I've been on both on more than one occasion, at different times. Pegasys is easier for me to tolerate as far as sides, but I don't get as good of a response as far as my viral load with it. For me, Peg-Intron = more sides, better response..... Infergen = more sides, better response...., Pegasys = less sides, less response. That's for MY body and I don't expect that it is the same for every patient. Susan400
"They all make you feel lousy and ignore anyone who says not to use interferon. It will be many, many years (probably never) before non-INF TX"
Most of the top HCV docs believe that the future will bring cocktails containing combinations of polymerase and protease inhibitors and no interferon. This is still years away, but highly likely not probably never.
We periodically get posters that try and scare people about the sx of interferon. I am not trying to make light of the side effects, but for almost all of us, they are tolerable.
One is alpha 2a and the other alpha 2b. Research the differences between the uses of the 2 forms of interferon. The pegylation is great in any case. In early TX there were daily shots, 3 times a week shots, etc. Pegylation makes it last at full dose for a week. I can tell you that the pegintron comes in a ready-to-go form and you just dial the pen to your proper dose, and can easily dial in a dose reduction if necessary and still use the same pen. Very easy to use and they'll usually see that you have an extra if the pen jams or anything (only happened to me once).
They all make you feel lousy and ignore anyone who says not to use interferon. It will be many, many years (probably never) before non-INF TX. Clearing the virus, even if you feel bad is an awful lot better than the alternative. The vast majority of patients get out with no long-term damage and if SVR, will have a normal life and lifespan.