 |
 |
ZADAXIN® (thymosin
alpha 1) 
Effective New Treatment for a Major Worldwide Disease
Z A D A X I N™ thymosin alpha 1 (thymalfasin), is a safe and effective
treatment for chronic hepatitis B when
used alone or in combination with interferon. Primary research indicates
that ZADAXIN may be useful in treating a number of other diseases as well,
including hepatitis C, non-small cell
lung cancer, melanoma, and HIV/AIDS. In addition,
ZADAXIN is also indicated as a vaccine
adjuvant, to enhance the effectiveness of influenza and hepatitis
B vaccines. Viral hepatitis B and C, diseases that afflict more than 500
million people worldwide, may lead to the development of liver cancer
and cirrhosis.
ZADAXIN is the synthetic version of thymosin alpha 1, a substance found
naturally in the circulation and produced in the body's thymus gland.
ZADAXIN stimulates the immune system by affecting T cells and NK cells,
which are the body's most potent defense against infectious diseases.
It is this ability to act as an immunomodulator that makes ZADAXIN a promising
therapy for such a wide variety of clinical conditions.
Safety
Thymosin alpha 1 has an excellent safety record. In clinical and non-clinical
studies to date, more than 3,000 patients, including adults, the elderly,
and children, with viral hepatitis B and hepatitis C, primary immunodeficiency
diseases, and numerous cancers have been treated with thymosin alpha 1
with virtually no drug-related side effects. Nor has there been any worsening
of side effects when thymosin alpha 1 is combined with other agents such
as interferon and chemotherapy. In animal studies, thymosin alpha 1 has
been administered in doses as high as 800 times the recommended human
dose with no evidence of adverse clinical signs.
ZADAXIN: Mechanism of Action |
| Made stronger through treatment,
the immune system is better able to destroy virally infected cells. |
ZADAXIN builds
up the immune system by
| • |
Stimulating differentiation
of stem cells— the cells that can produce virus fighters in
the immune system. |
| • |
Increasing the number
of virus-fighting T cells—including CD4, CD8, and natural killer
cells—that come from stem cells. |
| • |
Slowing down the breakdown
and removal (apoptosis) of T cells, which are the cells primarily
responsible for the cellular immune response. |
| • |
Increasing the number
of helper cells (Th1 cells) that fight chronic viral infection. |
| • |
Increasing the production
of proteins (called cytokines) that help in the action and creation
of more T cells in the immune response process. The particular proteins
are interleukin-2 (IL-2) and interferon gamma (IFN-γ). |
| • |
Decreasing the production of the
cytokines interleukin-4 (IL-4) and interleukin-10 (IL-10), which
are counterproductive in the fight against chronic viral infections. |
ZADAXIN directly targets virally infected or cancer
cells by
| • |
Increasing the number
of surface-marker proteins (MHC Class 1) that are responsible for
identification and rejection of foreign agents, like viruses, from
the body. |
| • |
Slowing down the replication
of viruses. |
| • |
Decreasing oxidative stress, which
dramatically decreases viral replication. |
Back to top |
|
