Pharmacokinetics of peginterferons

OCD

Semin Liver Dis. 2003;23 Suppl 1:23-8.




Zeuzem S, Welsch C, Herrmann E.

Department of Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and
Endocrinology, Saarland University Hospital, Homburg/Saar, Germany.

Two polyethylene glycol (PEG)-modified interferons are approved for the
treatment of chronic hepatitis C. The pharmocokinetic properties of the
branched 40 kDa pegylated interferon alfa-2a differ from the linear 12 kDa
pegylated interferon alfa-2b. The absorption half-life of standard
interferon alfa is 2.3 hours, while absorption half-lives for peginterferon
alfa-2a and alfa-2b are 50 hours and 4.6 hours, respectively. The volume of
distribution for peginterferon alfa-2a is considerably restricted, while the
volume of distribution for peginterferon alfa-2b is only approximately 30%
lower than that for conventional interferon. Because of its large size, the
40 kD peginterferon alfa-2a has a more than 100-fold reduction in renal
clearance compared with conventional interferon alfa. Clearance of
peginterferon alfa-2b is about one-tenth that of unmodified interferon alfa.
Although data are limited, both drugs appear to show differences in the
initial viral decay pattern in patients with chronic hepatitis C. However,
it remains unknown whether these differences in the initial viral decline
predict differences in the primary clinical endpoint, sustained virological
response.

PMID: 12934165 [PubMed - in process]