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ribavirin + PEG-IFNalpha-2a (Copegus + Pegasys / Pegasys + Copegus / Pegasys/Copegus)

✓ Approved

Roche · IFNAR2 · Small Molecule

What is ribavirin + PEG-IFNalpha-2a?

ribavirin + PEG-IFNalpha-2a is a small molecule developed by Roche. It is approved for therapeutic indications via injectable (others) or oral (po) or subcutaneous injection.

Drug Profile

Brand NamesCopegus + Pegasys, Pegasys + Copegus, Pegasys/Copegus
CompanyRoche
Drug ClassSmall Molecule
Molecular TargetIFNAR2
RouteInjectable (Others), Oral (PO), Subcutaneous Injection
StatusApproved
Sources: ClinicalTrials.gov, Roche

Mechanism of Action

Molecular Targets

ribavirin + PEG-IFNalpha-2a acts on 1 molecular target:

IFNAR2interferon alpha and beta receptor subunit 2 (IFNARB, IFN-alpha-REC)
Want deeper analysis?Noah AI can explain complex mechanisms and compare to similar drugs.

Therapeutic Indications

ribavirin + PEG-IFNalpha-2a is developed for 1 unique indication across 1 therapeutic area.

Therapeutic AreaConditionPhase
Infections and infestationsHepatitis C✓ Approved

Related Research Articles

PubMedbioRxiv : the preprint server for biology2026-07-17

Tracing developmental and adult hematopoiesis with an endogenous zebrafish runx1-2A-CreERT2 CRISPR knock-in.

Preston James A JA, Usha Masuma K MK, Ekker Stephen C SC, Clark Karl J KJ et al.

Zebrafish combines the power of genetics and unparalleled in vivo imaging for investigating the dynamics of vertebrate hematopoietic development. Across species, the transcription factor Runx1 is essential for definitive hematopoiesis. We generated a zebrafish runx1-2A-creERT2 CRISPR knock-in for tamoxifen-regulated Cre recombinase Runx1 lineage tracing and characterized its activity using the ubi:Switch recombinase-dependent fluorescence reporter, microscopic live imaging and flow cytometry. Tamoxifen treatment beginning at gastrula stage labeled all expected Runx1 lineages in the early embryo, including neuroectodermal olfactory placode and Rohan-Beard neurons, primitive hematopoietic blood cells, and nascent hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) in the dorsal aorta. Runx1 HSPCs colonized the larval caudal hematopoietic tissue and thymus from three to five days of development. Timed tamoxifen induction of Cre activity allowed separation of Runx1 primitive hematopoiesis from definitive HSPC emergence and larval stem cell niche colonization. Flow cytometry of kidney marrow and peripheral blood from adults treated with tamoxifen at gastrula stage revealed Runx1 embryonic hematopoietic cells contributed to adult hematopoietic precursors, myeloid, lymphoid, and peripheral blood lineages. Labeling of all blood lineages was also effective by tamoxifen treatment of 5-month-old adults. The zebrafish runx1-2A-creERT2 line provides a powerful tool for precise spatial and temporal analysis of Runx1 progenitor mechanisms in developmental and adult hematopoiesis. zebrafish endogenous runx1-2A-creERT2 provides inducible Cre recombinase genetic analysis in all runx1 neuromesodermal and blood lineages zebrafish runx1-2A-creERT2 line enables in vivo spatial and temporal analysis of embryonic and adult hematopoiesis.

PMID 42465524
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PubMedInternational journal of cancer2026-07-17

Survival Outcomes Associated With Short-Acting Versus Long-Acting G-CSF Use During First-Line Chemoimmunotherapy for Advanced Lung Cancer: A Retrospective Study.

Xiong Yanjuan Y, Guo Wenjing W, Ma Chenxi C, Ren Xiubao X et al.

While granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) is used to prevent and treat chemotherapy-induced neutropenia, it also regulates key immune cells and may therefore affect the efficacy of immunotherapy. Short-acting and long-acting G-CSF have similar efficacy in managing neutropenia, but they differ in effects on immune cells. However, the overall impact of G-CSF and its different formulations on survival in advanced lung cancer patients receiving chemoimmunotherapy remains unclear. This retrospective study enrolled patients with advanced primary lung cancer receiving first-line chemoimmunotherapy at Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital. The primary outcome was overall survival (OS). Inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) was used to balance heterogeneity between groups. Kaplan Meier and Cox models were used to estimate OS and progression-free survival (PFS). Among 606 patients, 308 developed neutropenia and received G-CSF support (pegylated recombinant human G-CSF [PEG-rhG-CSF]: 183; recombinant human G-CSF [rhG-CSF]: 125); 298 without neutropenia received no G-CSF. After IPTW, no significant differences in PFS and OS were observed between G-CSF group and non-G-CSF group. Patients receiving rhG-CSF had significantly improved OS (42.6 vs. 28.2 months, p = 0.041) and PFS (15.4 vs. 9.4 months, p < 0.001) than those receiving PEG-rhG-CSF. Multivariable analysis confirmed rhG-CSF as a favorable independent prognostic factor for both PFS and OS. Among patients with advanced primary lung cancer receiving first-line chemoimmunotherapy, G-CSF support effectively abrogates the adverse survival impact of chemotherapy-induced neutropenia. Moreover, rhG-CSF was associated with improved clinical outcomes versus PEG-rhG-CSF. Prospective randomized trials are required to validate these findings and guide clinical practice.

PMID 42463467
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PubMedmedRxiv : the preprint server for health sciences2026-07-17

Standardized, repeatable ulcerative colitis histology scoring and endpoint assessment using an automated, foundation model-based tool.

Tahir Waleed W, Shamshoian John J, Tauber John J, Clinton Lani K LK et al.

In clinical trials for ulcerative colitis (UC), pathologists assess disease severity through standardized histological indices, including the Geboes Score, Robarts Histopathology Index (RHI), and Nancy Histologic Index (NHI). Despite strong associations with clinical outcomes, histologic scoring suffers from inter- and intra-reader variability, and consensus criteria for histologic remission remain uncertain. Through a consortium approach, we developed an artificial intelligence-based measurement (AIM) tool for scoring histology in UC mucosal biopsies (AIM-HI UC). This model, trained on a large dataset of UC biopsies (N=10,230), utilizes additive multiple instance learning models leveraging PLUTO, a pathology foundation model, that predict each of the Geboes subgrades, from which the Geboes grade-level score, RHI, and NHI can be calculated. Evaluation of this model on a standalone verification set including clinical trial specimens established algorithm non-inferiority and/or superiority relative to standard qualified pathologists through comparison of algorithm-consensus and pathologist-consensus agreement metrics (non-inferior if difference >-0.1, superior if difference >0, inclusive of confidence intervals). AIM-HI UC was determined to be non-inferior to pathologists (N=3) for the prediction of all seven Geboes subgrades, grade-level Geboes, RHI, NHI, histologic improvement (GS < 3.1), 2A histologic remission (GS<2A.0), and 2B histologic remission (GS<2B.0). AIM-HI UC was superior to pathologists for several Geboes subgrades (GS 0, GS 1, GS 2B, and GS 5), as well as grade-level Geboes, RHI, and positive percent agreement of 2A histologic remission. The model was shown to be greater than 99% repeatable for all histologic scoring metrics examined. Model-derived scores were shown to strongly correlate with canonical histologic features of inflammation, including the proportion of total epithelium that is inflamed (Spearman r=0.83; p<0.01), the proportion of neutrophils localized within crypt epithelium (Spearman r=0.83, p<0.01), and the amount of mucosal area classified as erosion or ulceration (Spearman r=0.80, p<0.01). Overall, these results suggest that AIM-HI UC has the potential to improve consistency of UC histology interpretation, providing a path toward standardization of UC histology scoring in clinical trials.

PMID 42465947
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PubMedInternational journal of oncology2026-07-17

[Retracted] Phenotypic characterization of human prostatic stromal cells in primary cultures derived from human tissue samples.

Gravina Giovanni Luca GL, Mancini Andrea A, Ranieri Guido G, Di Pasquale Boris B et al.

Following the publication of the above paper, it was drawn to the Editor's attention by a concerned reader that, regarding Figs. 2A and 4B (and possibly also Fig. 4A), certain of the gel lanes within these figure parts (showing numbered cultures) appeared to contain duplicated data (specifically, lanes 2‑4 and 8‑10 in Fig. 2A, lanes 5 and 6 in Fig. 4A, and lanes 1‑4 and 7‑10 in Fig. 4B). Upon performing an independent analysis of the data in this paper, it also came to light that the β‑actin data in Fig. 3A and the Desmin data in Fig. 3E had appeared in a previous paper published in American Journal of Pathology that featured entirely different authors, although comparing the affiliations of the papers, one of the universities was the same. Given the apparent duplications of data within this paper itself and the re‑use of data that had originally appeared in a different article, the Editor of International Journal of Oncology has decided that it should be retracted from the Journal. The authors were asked for an explanation to account for these concerns, but the Editorial Office did not receive a satisfactory reply. The corresponding author, Claudio Festuccia, takes full responsibility for the raised concerns and clarifies that the other co-authors were not directly involved in the preparation of the submitted figures. The Editor apologizes to the readership for any inconvenience caused. [International Journal of Oncology 42: 2116‑2122, 2013; DOI: 10.3892/ijo.2013.1892].

PMID 42464654
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PubMedBMJ open gastroenterology2026-07-17

Changes in the indications for and outcomes of gastrostomy tube placement: an analysis of serial, prospective multi-site audits in Northern England.

Weidner Alice Rose AR, Mountford Christopher G CG, Oliver David D, Wells Chris C et al.

Gastrostomy tubes placed either endoscopically (percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG)) or radiologically (radiologically inserted gastrostomy (RIG)) are established as standard methods for medium to long-term enteral feeding. There is a paucity of large-scale audit data to identify the main indications, complication rates and outcomes of patients having a PEG or RIG in the UK. The aim of our study was to determine changes in the use of and outcomes from gastrostomy tube placement in a large cohort of patients across the North East of England and North Cumbria. The Northern Nutrition Network is a multidisciplinary network involving all hospitals in the North East of England and North Cumbria-an area with a population of 3.2 million in 2024. We conducted six 3-month cross-sectional prospective audits covering all hospitals where gastrostomies are placed between 2004 and 2022. A total of 889 procedures were performed during the six audit periods. Mean age has decreased from 71 years in 2004 to 63 years in 2022. Estimated incidence of gastrostomy placement in 2022 was 19.2 per 100 000. The most common indication in the first three audits was stroke; however, subsequently, this was replaced by dysphagia due to an ear-nose-throat/upper gastrointestinal malignancy. The use of prophylactic antibiotics increased from 83% to 93% during the 18-year period. 7-day mortality reduced from 2% in 2004 to 1% in 2022. Reduction was demonstrated in 30-day mortality rate from 9% in 2004 to 2.5% in 2022. Changes in gastrostomy placement practice have occurred over time, with a change in the most common indication, a trend to use in younger patients, greater use of prophylactic antibiotics and a reduction in 7-day and 30-day mortality. Dementia no longer appears as an indication for the placement of a gastrostomy, in keeping with international guidelines.

PMID 42463285
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PubMedCureus2026-07-17

Audit of Cesarean Section Rates in a Tertiary Care Hospital Using the Modified Robson Classification System.

Aslam Maria M, Sadiq Hasina H, Azhar Mohammad Moaz MM, Mughal Shaharyar S et al.

Background The increasing rate of cesarean section (CS) has become a significant public health concern worldwide because of its association with increased maternal morbidity and healthcare burden. The Modified Robson Classification System is an internationally accepted tool for auditing and monitoring CS practices. Objective To evaluate CS patterns and identify the major contributors to rising CS rates in a tertiary care hospital using the Modified Robson Classification System. Methodology This retrospective audit was conducted in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Shifa College of Medicine from March 2023 to February 2025. A total of 493 women who underwent CS were included. Maternal demographic characteristics, obstetric history, indications for CS, and neonatal outcomes were obtained from medical records. Cases were categorized according to the Modified Robson Classification System, where Group 5C comprised women with previous cesarean scar(s) with singleton cephalic pregnancy at term, and Group 2A included nulliparous women with singleton cephalic term pregnancy undergoing induction of labor. Data were analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 23 (Released 2016; IBM Corp., Armonk, New York, United States). Results The mean maternal age was 29.5 ± 5.9 years. Women with previous cesarean scars constituted the majority of cases, with Group 5C contributing 51.9% (256/493) of all CS, followed by Group 2A contributing 23.5% (116/493). Fetal distress was the leading indication for CS in 31.8% (157/493) of cases, followed by previous multiple cesarean scars in 28.0% (138/493) and refusal of trial of labor after cesarean in 18.5% (91/493). Among primigravida women, fetal distress accounted for 64.4% (85/132) of cesarean deliveries. Favorable neonatal outcomes were observed in most cases, with live births occurring in 97.6% (481/493) and NICU admissions in 2.2% (11/493) of neonates. Conclusion Women with previous cesarean scars and nulliparous women undergoing induction of labor were the major contributors to the overall CS rate. The Modified Robson Classification System is an effective tool for identifying high-contributing groups and guiding strategies aimed at reducing unnecessary cesarean deliveries while maintaining safe maternal and neonatal outcomes.

PMID 42465196
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