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    Interferon: Daily Use for Hepatitis C

    Interferon therapy is currently considered the standard of care for treatment of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. This medication is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for up to 24 months of treatment.

    As you may know, many medications are often used for indications outside of FDA labeling and dosage and administration of medications may differ from the FDA's guidelines. California law provides for such use if there are two or more peer-reviewed articles that support the efficacy of a medication or treatment for life threatening diseases.

    Because HCV is a potentially fatal disease in more than 20% of infected patients, it qualifies as a life threatening disease for which dosage and administration of interferon may differ from FDA guidelines. The following list of references supports the use of daily dosing with interferon as well as induction therapy (high dose) for the treatment of hepatitis. Please approve interferon as prescribed for this life threatening and debilitating disease.

    References

    1. Shindo M, Di Bisceglie AM, Hoofnagle JH. "Long-term follow-up of patients with chronic hepatitis C treated with interferon-alfa." Hepatology 1992; 15:1013-1016.

    2. Iino S, Hino K, Kuroki T, Suzuki H, Yamamoto S. "Treatment of chronic hepatitis C with high-dose interferon alpha-2b: A multicenter study." Dig Dis Sci 1993; 38:612-618.

    3. Iino S. "High dose interferon treatment in chronic hepatitis C." Gut 1993; 34:S114-S118.

    4. Tsubota A, Chayama K, Arase Y, Koida I, Saitoh S, Ikeda K, et al. "Factors useful in predicting the response to interferon therapy in chronic hepatitis C." J Gastroenterol Hepatol 1993; 8:535-539.

    5. Saito T, Shinzawa H, Kuboki M, Ishibashi M, Toda H, Okuyama Y, et al. "A randomized, controlled trial of human lymphoblastoid interferon in patients with compensated type C cirrhosis." Am J Gastroenterol 1994; 89:681-686.

    6. Chayama K, Arase Y, Koida I, Tsubota A, Saitoh S, Ikeda K, et al. "Antiviral effect of lymphoblastoid interferon-alpha on hepatitis C virus in patients with chronic hepatitis type C." J Gastroenterol Hepatol 1994; 9:128-133.

    7. Yamada G, Takahashi M, Endo H, Doi T, Miyamoto R, Shimomura H, et al. "Quantitative hepatitis C virus RNA and liver histology in chronic hepatitis C patients treated with interferon alfa." Gut 1993; 34:S133-4.

    8. Carreno V, Tapia L, Ryff JC, Quiroga JA, Castillo I. "Treatment of chronic hepatitis C by continuous subcutaneous infusion of interferon-alpha." J Med Virol 1992; 37:215-219.

    9. Bresters D, Mauser-Bunschoten EP, Cuypers HT, Lelie PN, Han JH, Jansen PL, et al. "Disappearance of hepatitis C virus RNA in plasma during interferon alpha- 2B treatment in hemophilia patients." Scand J Gastroenterol 1992; 27:166-168.

    10. Ohnishi K, Nomura F, Nakano M. "Interferon therapy for acute posttransfusion non-A, non-B hepatitis: response with respect to anti-hepatitis C virus antibody status." Am J Gastroenterol 1991; 86:1041-1049.

    11. Shoji S, Kurata M, Makita A, Hosoi H, Sakai T, Takikawa H, et al. "Clinical study on long-term treatment of chronic hepatitis C with Nippon Shokakibyo Gakkai Zasshi" 1991; 88:706-713.

    12. Ferenci P, Vogel W, Pristautz H, Deimer J, Denk H, Judmaier G, et al. "One-year treatment of chronic non-A, non-B hepatitis with interferon alfa- 2b." J Hepatol 1990; 11(Suppl 1):S50-S53.
    Updated June 2000