FDA approves hepatitis C drug

The Food and Drug Administration on Monday approved Schering-Plough's prefilled pen-like syringe that contains the company's PEG-Intron hepatitis C treatment. The device, called the PEG-Intron Redipen, was designed to be easier to use than traditional syringes and vials of the medication. It is expected to be available in the United States in early 2004. PEG-Intron Redipen is already sold in Europe. Hepatitis C is a common coinfection among HIV-positive people and is one of the leading killers of people who are infected with HIV. Hepatitis C is commonly transmitted through contact with infected blood, but studies have shown it may also be transmitted through sexual contact.