1.   Five years ago Bromley began treatment with alpha interferon, and within two and a half months he was down to a level of zero virus.

2.   For instance, Genentech licensed the patents to Schering-Plough for alpha interferon, a drug for hepatitis and cancer.

3.   Hoffman-La Roche Inc. and Genentech Inc. said the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office ruled that they hold the patent for alpha interferon rather than rival Biogen Inc.

4.   In May, the company reported that its drug, Zadaxin, showed favorable results when administered with alpha interferon.

5.   Medical experts now are debating the benefits of adding lamivudine therapy to treatment with alpha interferon.

6.   The main treatment now is the combination of alpha interferon and ribavirin, which some scientists think works by stimulating the immune system to attack the virus.

7.   The meeting followed an unexpected report in July showing that the drug alpha interferon did not block the blood vessel growth, after earlier experiments had suggested it would.

8.   The only drug currently approved for the treatment of hepatitis B is alpha interferon, marketed by Schering-Plough as Intron A.

9.   The only approved treatment in the United States is alpha interferon, an expensive drug with dangerous side effects.

10.   The standard treatment for active hepatitis C is an antiviral-drug combination of alpha interferon and ribavirin.