After years of false starts, the genetically engineered hormone known as alpha interferon is back on the road toward commercial success.

The history of alpha interferon could be a lesson in biotechnology.

Hepatitis alone will be a huge new market for alpha interferon.

"If alpha interferon is priced at Western levels, it would be out of the question."

Other researchers also said alpha interferon had been overlooked.

"It created a negative feeling about alpha interferon among physicians."

Quietly, however, alpha interferon has become a major drug, used to treat some forms of hepatitis and cancer.

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

Until now, alpha interferon's use in Kaposi's sarcoma was limited to clinical trials at certain medical centers.

But in the last 10 years, alpha interferon has slowly proved to be an effective therapy for several serious diseases.