Sylatron (Peginterferon Alfa-2b) for Melanoma

Overview 
Sylatron is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for treating melanoma with microscopic or gross nodal involvement following surgery to remove the cancer. Sylatron is also known by its drug name, peginterferon alfa-2b.

Peginterferon alfa-2b belongs to the class of drugs known as interferons, which are proteins that modulate the activity of the immune system. Sylatron is thought to work by stimulating the body’s immune system to attack melanoma cells, helping to prevent the cancer from returning after surgery.

How do I take it?
Sylatron is administered as a subcutaneous (under the skin) injection. According to the prescribing information, the initial treatment generally consists of one injection per week for eight weeks, followed by a maintenance dose of one injection per week for up to five years. It should be taken exactly as prescribed by a health care provider.

Side effects
Common side effects of Sylatron include fatigue, increased alanine aminotransferase ALT, increased aspartate aminotransferase, pyrexia (fever), headache, anorexia (loss of appetite), myalgia (muscle pain), nausea, chills, and injection site reactions.

Rare but serious side effects may include serious depression with suicidal ideation and completed suicides; other serious neuropsychiatric disorders; significant or unstable cardiac (heart) disease; retinal disorders; autoimmune hepatitis; hepatic decompensation in people with Child-Pugh scores higher than 6; and thyroid or blood sugar disorders that cannot be effectively treated with medication.

For more information about this treatment, visit:

Highlights of Prescribing Information for Sylatron — U.S. Food and Drug Administration

Peginterferon Alfa-2b Injection (Sylatron)  — MedlinePlus