User:Mr. Ibrahem/Peginterferon beta-1a

Peginterferon beta-1a, sold under the brand name Plegridy, is medication used to treat multiple sclerosis. It is specifically used for the relapsing forms including clinically isolated syndrome, relapsing remitting disease, and active secondary progressive disease. It is given by injection under the skin.

Common side effects include headache, muscle pain, flu-like symptoms, fever, weakness, and redness, pain or itching at the injection site. Other side effects may include liver problems, depression, seizures, heart failure, and anaphylaxis. There are concerns with use in pregnancy. How it works is not entirely clear; however it is believed to suppress the immune system. It is made from interferon beta-1a joined with polyethylene glycol.

Peginterferon beta-1a was approved for medical use in the United States and Europe in 2014. In the United States it costs about 7,500 USD for 4 weeks of medication as of 2021. This amount in the United Kingdom costs the NHS about £650.