Prescription medicine
Peginterferon beta 1a Brand names: Plegridy
Peginterferon beta 1a (Plegridy) is a prescription medicine with an FDA approval on record since 2014. No generic is listed in FDA's NDC Directory.
- No generic listed
Check it at the source: the peginterferon beta 1a FDA label on DailyMed (effective November 12, 2025, Biogen Inc.); the BLA 125499 record on Drugs@FDA; every peginterferon beta 1a label on DailyMed.
Highlights of the record
FDA label of November 12, 2025; NDC Directory, Drugs@FDA and Orange Book, October 8, 2026
Used for
From the label: indications and usagePLEGRIDY is indicated for the treatment of relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS), to include clinically isolated syndrome, relapsing-remitting disease, and active secondary progressive disease, in adults.
Forms and strengths
- 0.5ml
Injection (solution); kit.
On the market
- Earliest approval on file
- August 15, 2014 Plegridy, Biogen Idec Inc; Drugs@FDA’s file, where older or withdrawn approvals can be missing
- Generic approvals
- No generic approved
- Labelers listed (NDC)
- 1 of which 0 under generic applications, 1 under brand applications, repackagers included
Supply and safety
- Pharmacy cost (NADAC)
- Not in the survey
- Shortage (FDA)
- No current entry
- Recalls by its makers (FDA)
- No recall recorded
- FAERS reports
- 13,031 through July 30, 2026
What is peginterferon beta 1a used for?
From the label: indications and usagePLEGRIDY is indicated for the treatment of relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS), to include clinically isolated syndrome, relapsing-remitting disease, and active secondary progressive disease, in adults. PLEGRIDY is an interferon beta indicated for the treatment of relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS), to include clinically isolated syndrome, relapsing-remitting disease, and active secondary progressive disease, in adults
Conditions named in the indications of peginterferon beta 1a's FDA labels, with every medicine labeled for each:
FDA pharmacologic class: Interferon beta.
Source: FDA drug label (Plegridy Pen), Biogen Inc., effective November 12, 2025 (SPL set 08f0ea03-4e6d-195d-aef4-886e32befa95), via openFDA; the full label on DailyMed
What does the patient leaflet for peginterferon beta 1a say first?
The FDA-approved Medication Guide or Patient Information that comes with the medicine, in its own words.
From the patient leaflet: What is the most important information I should know about PLEGRIDY?PLEGRIDY can cause serious side effects, including: Liver problems or worsening of liver problems, including liver failure and death. Symptoms may include: yellowing of your skin or the white part of your eye, nausea, loss of appetite, tiredness, bleeding more easily than normal, confusion, sleepiness, dark colored urine, and pale stools. During your treatment with PLEGRIDY you will need to see your healthcare provider and have regular blood tests to check for these possible side effects. Depression or suicidal thoughts. Symptoms may include: new or worsening depression (feeling hopeless or bad about yourself), thoughts of hurting yourself or suicide, irritability (getting upset easily), nervousness, or new or worsening anxiety. Call your healthcare provider right away if you have any of the symptoms listed above.
Source: FDA drug label (Plegridy Pen), Biogen Inc., effective November 12, 2025 (SPL set 08f0ea03-4e6d-195d-aef4-886e32befa95), via openFDA; the full label on DailyMed
Is there a generic for peginterferon beta 1a (Plegridy)?
No generic peginterferon beta 1a is approved (Drugs@FDA, October 8, 2026).
- 2014 earliest approval on file
Source: Drugs@FDA, FDA NDC Directory and the Orange Book (openFDA bulk files, October 8, 2026)
What do FAERS reports show for peginterferon beta 1a?
The FDA Adverse Event Reporting System holds 13,031 reports that list peginterferon beta 1a among the medicines taken, through July 30, 2026, each a report of something that happened, not proof the medicine caused it; 333 are coded as a death and 3,143 as a hospital stay. Counts follow how widely a medicine is used and watched, and they are not a measure of how risky it is.
Reports received each year
The most reported reactions
Source: FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) via openFDA, reports through July 30, 2026
What else is labeled for the same conditions as peginterferon beta 1a?
4 other medicines are given the same way (subcutaneous) and in the same FDA class as peginterferon beta 1a or labeled mainly for the same use (multiple sclerosis), the same class first. Multiple sclerosis lists all 23 medicines labeled for it, by any route. They are listed as records, not as substitutes: whether one can replace another is a prescriber's decision.
| Medicine | Shared indication | Generic labelers (subcutaneous) | Pharmacy cost | Shortage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Interferon beta 1a | Multiple sclerosis | none listed | $1,848.67 per mL 44 mcg/0.5 mL | No current entry |
| Glatiramer | Multiple sclerosis | 8 labelers | $86.10 per mL 40 mg/mL syringe | No current entry |
| Corticotropin | Multiple sclerosis | none listed | n/a | No current entry |
| Ofatumumab | Multiple sclerosis | none listed | $24,369.37 per mL 20 mg/0.4 mL pen | No current entry |
Every medicine labeled for the same conditions as peginterferon beta 1a
Source: FDA drug labels (indications), NDC Directory, NADAC of October 7, 2026, FDA shortages (October 8, 2026)
What next?
- Alternatives to peginterferon beta 1a
- 4 medicines for the same use
- Other interferon betas
- the pharmacologic class, with prices and generics
- Peginterferon beta 1a side effects
- the label's list beside FAERS reports
- Check an interaction
- what two or more labels say about each other