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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

PubMedClinical drug investigation2026-10-15

The Economic Burden of HDV in Italy: Evaluating the Potential Impact and Effects of Bulevirtide for Chronic HDV Infection.

Paoletti Martina M, Cazzato Daniela D, Marcellusi Andrea A, Kondili Loreta A LA et al.

Chronic hepatitis D is associated with substantial clinical and economic burden due to its progressive course and risk of severe liver-related complications. The aim of this study was to quantify the economic burden of chronic hepatitis D (HDV) in Italy from societal perspectives, and to estimate the clinical and economic consequences associated with bulevirtide, peginterferon alfa (PEG-IFN-α), and best supportive care (BSC) in HDV-RNA-positive adults with compensated liver disease. The economic impact of HDV infection was estimated using a cost-of-illness (COI) analysis, while the costs and effects of introducing bulevirtide were estimated using a cost-and-outcomes analysis (COA). The COA compared two scenarios: a clinical practice scenario that includes PEG-IFN-α and BSC, and a scenario that introduces bulevirtide. The analyses were conducted from the societal perspective; therefore, direct and indirect estimated costs were included. The most relevant outcomes were quality adjusted life years (QALYs) and the number of deaths. Both analyses were carried out on a standardised hypothetical cohort of 1000 HDV-RNA-positive adult patients with compensated liver disease, over 10 years. A deterministic sensitivity analysis (DSA) was conducted to assess parameter uncertainty. The COI estimated a 10-year economic burden of €34,939,429.41 for the management and treatment of patients with HDV infection in Italy. The COA estimated a total 10-year reduction in disease-related costs of €2,152,752.76 after the introduction of bulevirtide, an increase of 8.26% (+ 366.12) in the number of QALYs gained, and a 12.39% reduction (- 73.67) in the number of deaths. Our study suggests that the introduction of bulevirtide may alleviate the clinical and economic burden associated with HDV in Italy, while improving quality of life.

PMID 42875707
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PubMedFrontiers in medicine2026-10-15

Season-adjusted longitudinal changes in serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D during pegylated interferon add-on to ongoing tenofovir alafenamide therapy in chronic hepatitis B: a real-world cohort study.

Han Ning N, Liu Huan H, Zhu Xia X

To characterize serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] trajectories during peginterferon alfa-2b (Peg-IFN) add-on to ongoing tenofovir alafenamide (TAF) therapy in chronic hepatitis B and explore associations with hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg). This retrospective cohort identified 203 consecutive patients, of whom 190 contributed longitudinal data through week 48. The primary random-intercept mixed-effects model used categorical visit time and adjusted for seasonality, age, and sex. Continuous-time, random-slope, visit-timing, and HBsAg-censoring analyses assessed sensitivity. The primary adjusted week-48 25(OH)D difference was -7.9 nmol/L (95% CI, -9.8 to -6.0) (P < 0.001); the secondary continuous-time estimate was -8.3 nmol/L over 48 weeks. Observed concentrations declined through week 36 and partially rebounded at week 48. The proportion below 47.7 nmol/L increased from 21.1% to 34.7%. The adjusted total serum calcium trend was -0.061 mmol/L (95% CI, -0.074 to -0.049). Triglycerides increased while cholesterol fractions decreased. At week 48, 104/190 patients (54.7%) had an HBsAg decline of at least 1 log10 and 50/190 (26.3%) had visit-specific HBsAg loss. The concurrent 48-week change correlation was weak (ρ = 0.150; FDR-adjusted P = 0.117), and the magnitude of 25(OH)D decline was not independently associated with either binary endpoint. Within patients, each 10 nmol/L increase in 25(OH)D was associated with a 0.068-log10 IU/mL increase in concurrent HBsAg (95% CI, 0.020 to 0.116; P = 0.006). Serum 25(OH)D showed a non-linear decline during 48 weeks of follow-up, and the week-48 difference remained evident after adjustment for seasonality. However, without a concurrent comparator, the observed change cannot be attributed specifically to Peg-IFN, TAF, or their combination. Exploratory analyses suggested only a weak concurrent relationship between 25(OH)D and HBsAg, without evidence of prediction or causality. The clinical relevance of the observed changes in 25(OH)D and total serum calcium warrants further prospective investigation.

PMID 42876729
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PubMedFrontiers in microbiology2026-10-15

Global evolutionary dynamics of peste des petits ruminants virus reveals geographic lineage structuring and clade-defining mutational signatures.

Haque Sarowar S, Islam Md Mahfuj MM, Das Anupam A, Piyel Safayet Hossain SH et al.

Peste des petits ruminants virus (PPRV) is recognized as one of the most economically significant transboundary pathogens affecting small ruminants. However, despite the increasing availability of whole-genome sequences, comprehensive global analyses integrating evolutionary history, phylogeography, and genome-wide lineage-defining molecular markers remain limited. This study investigated the global genomic diversity, evolutionary history, and molecular characteristics of PPRV using whole-genome sequences. A total of 212 temporally informative whole-genome sequences, retrieved from GenBank (between 1969 and 2025) representing all four recognized PPRV lineages, were analyzed using comparative genomics, Bayesian time-scaled phylogenetic reconstruction, and genome-wide candidate phylogenetic marker; single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) analysis and codon-based selective-pressure analyses. The results demonstrated high genomic conservation across all genomes despite their broad geographic distribution. Bayesian analysis estimated a mean evolutionary rate of 5.07 × 10-4 substitutions per site per year (95% HPD: 4.79 × 10-4 to 5.35 × 10-4) and dated the most recent common ancestor of PPRV to 1839 (95% HPD: 1829 to 1848) which likely reflects the ancestry of currently sampled viral diversity rather than the historical emergence of PPRV. Lineage IV, the predominant contemporary lineage, was further subdivided into four geographically structured subclades: A, B.1, B.2a, and B.2b. A total of 125 subclade-associated fixed SNP signatures were identified, primarily within the L gene, with most variants resulting in nonsynonymous substitutions. The overlapping P, V, and C coding regions underscored the complex functional consequences of lineage-defining mutations. Gene-wide dN/dS values were below 1 for all six genes, indicating predominant purifying selection, while functional mapping identified several SNP related amino acid substitutions within experimentally characterized antigenic regions; however, these substitutions were not supported as positively selected in the present analyses. These results provide a comprehensive genomic framework for understanding PPRV evolution and identify candidate phylogenetic markers for lineage discrimination to support genomic surveillance, molecular epidemiology, and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)-World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) Global PPR Eradication Programme.

PMID 42876840
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PubMedColloids and surfaces. B, Biointerfaces2026-10-14

Non-thermal plasma-enabled one-step synthesis of polyethylene glycol-functionalized gold nanoparticles for antimicrobial biointerface applications.

Acharya Tirtha Raj TR, Rana Neha N, Jaiswal Apurva A, Lamichhane Prajwal P et al.

This study presents a rapid, single-step synthesis of polyethylene glycol functionalized gold nanoparticles (PEG-AuNPs) using an atmospheric-pressure non-thermal plasma jet (NTPJ), without conventional chemical reducing agents or post-synthetic modification. Extensive plasma diagnostics through electrical, optical, and thermal characterizations revealed a strongly non-equilibrium environment with high electron density, moderate electron temperature, and rich in reactive oxygen and nitrogen species, which enabled simultaneous Au3 + reduction and PEG-assisted stabilization. Controlled NTPJ exposures and precursor conditions produce spherical PEG-AuNPs with an average diameter 25 ± 10 nm and good colloidal stability. Plasma treatment generates a chemical complex, acidic, and oxidative medium that regulates nanoparticle growth and surface chemistry. The resulting PEG-AuNPs exhibit enhanced antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus, Shigella flexneri, and Hafnia alvei, likely due to their colloidal stability, PEG-surface-association, and effective interaction with bacterial membranes. PEG-surface-association further improves nanoparticle stability, reduces cytotoxicity and suppress biofilm formation. This energy-efficient plasma strategy enables precise structure-property control and provides a scalable pathway for the rational design of antibacterial nanomaterials.

PMID 42874488
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PubMedLuminescence : the journal of biological and chemical luminescence2026-10-14

Engineering PEG-Modified Fe2O3 Nanostructures for Enhanced Photocatalytic Degradation of Pesticide and Antibiotic Pollutants in Water.

Nesrat Hocine Sadam HS, Mosbahi Dalila Saidane DS, Laouini Salah Eddine SE, Aouadi Abdelatif A et al.

Pesticide and pharmaceutical contaminants in water have become an important environmental challenge because of their persistence, toxicity, and limited removal by conventional treatment methods. In this work, iron oxide nanoparticles (Fe2O3NPs) and polyethylene glycol-coated iron oxide nanoparticles (Fe2O3@PEG NPs) were synthesized and tested for photocatalytic degradation of organic pollutants in aqueous media. The obtained materials were characterized using XRD, FTIR, UV-Vis spectroscopy, and SEM analyses. The XRD patterns confirmed the formation of crystalline hematite (α-Fe2O3), with average crystallite sizes of 21.26 nm for Fe2O3 and 19.02 nm for Fe2O3@PEG. FTIR spectra indicated successful PEG coating, whereas UV-Vis analysis revealed direct band-gap energies of 2.09 and 2.00 eV, respectively. Photocatalytic performance was investigated through the degradation of chlorpyrifos and amoxicillin under UV light. The Fe2O3@PEG material showed better activity, reaching 95.84% degradation of chlorpyrifos after 120 min and 95.03% removal of amoxicillin within 60 min. Kinetic results were consistent with a pseudo-first-order model. The improved efficiency of the modified material was mainly related to better dispersion, enhanced surface interaction, and lower charge recombination.

PMID 42870510
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PubMedBiological psychiatry2026-10-14

Interpreting Lower Synaptic Vesicle Glycoprotein 2A Availability in Bipolar Disorder.

Frangou Sophia S

PMID 42875143
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