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British Columbia approval of Pegetron for hepatitis C completes Canada-wide coverage

British Columbia approval of Pegetron for hepatitis C completes Canada-wide coverage

MONTREAL, CANADA, June 17 2003 -- Schering Canada announced approval by the British Columbia Ministry of Health Services of Pegetron (peginterferon alfa-2b powder for solution plus ribavirin 200 mg capsules), a pegylated interferon combination therapy for the treatment of chronic hepatitis C.

BC PharmaCare will provide coverage for Pegetron by special authority for patients with chronic hepatitis C who have not been previously treated with interferon or combination drug therapy.

"This is timely and welcome news," said Dr. Mel Krajden, Director, BC Hepatitis Services at the BC Centre for Disease Control. "Hepatitis C is a serious threat to public health in British Columbia, and treatment is one of the necessary steps for controlling the spread of this infectious disease."

Pegetron is the only pegylated interferon combination treatment approved and available in Canada. An estimated 240,000 Canadians are infected with the hepatitis C virus (HCV), and 5,000 new cases are reported annually according to Health Canada.

This approval means that all Canadian provinces now provide access to Pegetron. It is also being covered by most private medical insurance plans.

Source: Schering Canada

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