It was approved in September 2016 for subcutaneous injection in the treatment of chronic hepatitis B and chronic hepatitis C. A study in New Zealand rabbits, using pulmonary liquid quantification nebulization to administer the same dose of PegIFNα-2b or conventional IFNα-2b, showed that lung exposure to the drug at 48 h post-administration was approximately 10 times higher in the PegIFNα-2b group compared to the conventional IFNα-2b group. The gene discussed is IFNA2; the disease is chronic hepatitis B virus infection.