A 34-year-old member asked:

How exactly do interferon alpha2a and ribavirin work to kill the hcv virus?

1 doctor answer • 1 doctor weighed in

Dr. Gregory Seagravesanswered

Pharmacology 19 years experience

Mechanism of action: Interferon Alpha 2a is a protein similar to infection fighting proteins released by white blood cells. Ribavirin is a prodrug that resembles purine RNA nucleotides. Therefore, Ribavirin interferes with the RNA replication of the hcv.

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Last updated Jul 1, 2014

Found in:

Virus›Hepatitis C›Interferon

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