Thymalfasin: clinical pharmacology and antiviral applications.

Thymalfasin (thymosin-alpha1) is an immunomodulatory agent that is able to augment some specific T lymphocyte functions, particularly that of promoting the T helper 1 cell responses involved in host antiviral defence. The most promising clinical applications for thymalfasin seem to be as a single agent for the treatment of chronic hepatitis B and in combination with interferon-alpha for the treatment of both chronic hepatitis B and C. These positive preliminary results offer a strong rationale for larger, well-planned clinical trials and also for defining the optimal schedule of administration.