| Clinical data | |
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| MedlinePlus | a690006 |
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| Routes of administration | Subcutaneous, intramuscular |
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| ECHA InfoCard | 100.208.165 |
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Interferon alfa-2b is an antiviral orantineoplastic drug. It is arecombinant form of the proteinInterferon alpha-2 that was originally sequenced and produced recombinantly inE. coli[1] in the laboratory ofCharles Weissmann at theUniversity of Zurich, in 1980.[2][3] It was developed atBiogen, and ultimately marketed by Schering-Plough under the trade nameIntron-A. It was also produced in 1986 in recombinant human form, in theCenter for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology of Havana, Cuba, under the name Heberon Alfa R.[4]
It has been used for a wide range of indications, including viral infections and cancers. This drug is approved around the world for the treatment of chronichepatitis C, chronichepatitis B,hairy cell leukemia,Behçet's disease, chronicmyelogenous leukemia, multiple myeloma,follicular lymphoma, carcinoid tumor,mastocytosis and malignant melanoma.[citation needed]
The medication is being used in clinical trials to treat patients withSARS-CoV-2[5] and there are published results in the peer-reviewed scientific literature.[6]
So far, two non-peer reviewed research articles have been published. One study at theUniversity of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, showed evidence of a direct anti-viral effect of Interferon alpha against novel Coronavirus in vitro. The study demonstrated around 10,000 fold reduction in the quantity of virus that was pre-treated with Interferon alpha 48 hours earlier. A second study by universities in China, Australia and Canada analysed 77 moderate COVID-19 subjects in Wuhan and observed that those who received Interferon alpha-2b showed a significant reduction in the duration of virus shedding period and even in levels of the inflammatory cytokine, IL-6.[7][8]
This drug is also used off-label in cats and dogs, both by injection and orally.[9] The cross-species nature of IFN-α allow it to work in non-human animals,[10] but the period of usefulness is limited by the production of antibodies against this foreign protein.[9]
| Interferon alfa-2b products[11] | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Product | Manufacturer | Features | Special uses |
| Alpharona | Pharmaclon | ||
| Intron-A/IntronA | Schering-Plough | ||
| Realderon | Teva | ||
| Reaferon EC | GNC Vector | ||
| Reaferon EC-Lipint | Vector-Medica | liposomal | |
| Infagel | Vector-Medica | ointment | |
| Recolin | Vector-Medica | ||
| Altevir | Bioprocess subsidiary | liquid, free ofHSA | |
| Kipferon | Alfarm | combination withIgM,IgA,IgG | |
| Giaferon | A/S Vitafarma | ||
| Genferon | Biocad | ||
| Opthalamoferon | Firn-M | withdimedrol | eye infections |
| Heberon Alfa R | BioCubaFarma, Cuban-Chinese joint ventureChangHeber[12][13] | severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS),Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS),Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)[14] | |
