Your Patients Need Pegasys — Here's How to Help Them Get It

If you prescribe Pegasys (Peginterferon Alfa-2a) for patients with polycythemia vera, essential thrombocythemia, chronic hepatitis B, or hepatitis C, you've almost certainly fielded frustrated calls from patients who can't fill their prescriptions. The ongoing Pegasys shortage has put providers in the difficult position of managing treatment continuity with unpredictable supply.

This guide provides a practical, step-by-step approach to help your patients access Pegasys — or find appropriate alternatives when the drug simply isn't available.

Current Pegasys Availability

As of early 2026, Pegasys supply through the US market remains constrained:

• Summit SD is the primary specialty distributor, operating on an allocation basis
• Available presentations: 180 mcg/mL vials and 180 mcg/0.5 mL prefilled syringes (limited)
• Autoinjectors (135 mcg and 180 mcg) have been more difficult to obtain
• Supply comes in waves — availability can change week to week

The manufacturer, pharma& GmbH, received EMA approval for a new API manufacturing site in April 2025 and is seeking US FDA approval, but no firm restoration date has been communicated.

Why Patients Can't Find Pegasys

Understanding the bottleneck helps you guide patients more effectively:

• Narrow distribution: Pegasys is a refrigerated specialty biologic — most retail pharmacies don't stock it, and specialty pharmacies are working from limited allocations
• No biosimilar: Without a generic or biosimilar option, all demand funnels to a single manufacturer's supply
• Demand surge: The growing use of Pegasys for MPNs (particularly PV and ET) has increased demand beyond what manufacturing capacity can support
• Patient confusion: Many patients don't know which pharmacies to contact or how specialty drug distribution works

What Providers Can Do: 5 Steps

Step 1: Use Real-Time Stock Tracking

Medfinder for Providers allows you to check which pharmacies currently have Pegasys in stock or can order it. This eliminates the guesswork and phone tag. Share this tool with your clinical staff so they can proactively check availability before patients leave the office.

Step 2: Build Relationships with Specialty Pharmacies

If you don't already have a preferred specialty pharmacy network, now is the time to establish one. Specialty pharmacies that serve hematology/oncology or hepatology practices often have:

• Direct relationships with specialty distributors like Summit SD
• Separate allocation channels from retail chains
• Experience managing patients on complex injectable regimens

Contact 2–3 specialty pharmacies in your area and ask about their current Pegasys stock and allocation status.

Step 3: Prescribe Proactively

During a shortage, timing matters:

• Send prescriptions early — don't wait until the patient is out of medication
• Consider 90-day fills if the pharmacy has adequate supply
• Include "dispense as written" and clinical justification to support prior authorization and prevent therapeutic substitution
• Document the indication clearly — this helps specialty pharmacies prioritize allocation

Step 4: Prepare Transition Plans for At-Risk Patients

For patients who may face treatment interruptions, prepare in advance:

• PV/ET patients: Have a BESREMi (Ropeginterferon Alfa-2b) transition plan ready. The NCCN recommends BESREMi as a direct substitute. Review published transition guidance (Annals of Hematology, 2025) for dosing conversion.
• CHC patients: If clinically appropriate, transition to DAA therapy (Harvoni, Epclusa, Mavyret)
• CHB patients: Consider oral antiviral options (Entecavir, Tenofovir) if a treatment gap is imminent

Step 5: Connect Patients with Financial Resources

Cost barriers compound access barriers during shortages. Proactively connect patients with:

• pharma& PAP: 855-443-7028
• NeedyMeds: needymeds.org — searchable database of PAPs
• RxAssist: rxassist.org — comprehensive directory of patient assistance programs
• Medicare $2,000 OOP cap: Remind eligible patients that Part D costs are capped annually

Alternatives to Consider

Workflow Tips for Your Practice

• Designate a shortage coordinator: Assign one staff member to track Pegasys availability weekly using Medfinder and ASHP shortage updates
• Maintain a patient list: Keep a running list of all patients currently on Pegasys so you can triage proactively if supply drops further
• Template your prior authorizations: Create standard PA language that includes shortage documentation — this can expedite approvals for alternative medications
• Communicate proactively: Send a patient letter or portal message explaining the shortage situation and your practice's plan. This reduces inbound call volume and patient anxiety.

Final Thoughts

The Pegasys shortage demands a proactive, organized approach from provider practices. By using tools like Medfinder for Providers, building specialty pharmacy relationships, and having transition plans ready, you can minimize treatment disruptions for your patients.

Share our patient-facing shortage update with your patients to help them understand the situation, and direct them to Medfinder to check pharmacy stock on their own.