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| Formula | C3796H5937N1015O1143S50 |
| Molar mass | 85685.21 g·mol−1 |
Albinterferon (alb-IFN, trade nameAlbuferon) is arecombinant fusion proteindrug consisting ofinterferon alpha (IFN-α) linked to humanalbumin.[1][2] Conjugation to human albumin prolongs the half-life of the IFN-α to about 6 days, allowing to dose it every two to four weeks.[3]
The drug was under investigation as an alternative topegylatedIFN-α-2a for the treatment ofhepatitis C. In response to an FDA ruling,Novartis andHuman Genome Sciences announced on October 5, 2010 that they will cease development of the drug.[4]A French expert in hepatitis treatment, Dr. Yves Benhamou, member of the steering committee for a clinical trial of the drug was detained on criminal fraud charges by the F.B.I. agents on 11-01-2010 as he attended a conference in Boston because he allegedly tipped off a hedge fund manager about setbacks in the clinical trials (two participants in the trial had developed lung disease and one of them died); he had a consulting relationship with a manager of the hedge fund. The manager sold his entire stake in Human Genome Sciences before it announced the setbacks in Jan. 2008 and avoided $30 million in losses.[5][6]
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