View source for Interferon alfa-2b

{{Short description|Pharmaceutical drug}}
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| pregnancy_US             = C
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| routes_of_administration = Subcutaneous, intramuscular
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'''Interferon alfa-2b''' is an antiviral or [[antineoplastic]] drug. It is a [[recombinant DNA|recombinant]] form of the protein [[IFNA2|Interferon alpha-2]] that was originally sequenced and produced recombinantly in ''[[E. coli]]''<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Nagata S, Taira H, Hall A, Johnsrud L, Streuli M, Ecsödi J, Boll W, Cantell K, Weissmann C | display-authors = 6 | title = Synthesis in E. coli of a polypeptide with human leukocyte interferon activity | journal = Nature | volume = 284 | issue = 5754 | pages = 316–320 | date = March 1980 | pmid = 6987533 | doi = 10.1038/284316a0 | s2cid = 4310807 | bibcode = 1980Natur.284..316N }}</ref> in the laboratory of [[Charles Weissmann]] at the [[University of Zurich]], in 1980.<ref>{{cite book| vauthors = Weissmann C |chapter=Recombinant interferon - the 20th anniversary|date=2001|title=Recombinant Protein Drugs|pages=3–41| veditors = Buckel P |series=Milestones in Drug Therapy|publisher=Birkhäuser|location=Basel|doi=10.1007/978-3-0348-8346-7_1|isbn=978-3-0348-8346-7}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Mantei N, Schwarzstein M, Streuli M, Panem S, Nagata S, Weissmann C | title = The nucleotide sequence of a cloned human leukocyte interferon cDNA | journal = Gene | volume = 10 | issue = 1 | pages = 1–10 | date = June 1980 | pmid = 6157600 | doi = 10.1016/0378-1119(80)90137-7 }}</ref> It was developed at [[Biogen]], and ultimately marketed by Schering-Plough under the trade name '''Intron-A'''. It was also produced in 1986 in recombinant human form, in the [[Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology]] of Havana, Cuba, under the name Heberon Alfa R.<ref>{{Cite journal| vauthors = Nodarse-Cuní H, López-Saura PA |date=2017|title=Cuban interferon alpha-2b. Thirty years as an effective and safe drug|url=https://www.medigraphic.com/cgi-bin/new/resumenI.cgi?IDARTICULO=75882|journal=Biotecnología Aplicada|volume=34|issue=1|pages=1211–1217|issn=1027-2852}}</ref>

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 chronic [[hepatitis C]], chronic [[hepatitis B]], [[hairy cell leukemia]], [[Behçet's disease]], chronic [[myelogenous leukemia]], multiple myeloma, [[follicular lymphoma]], carcinoid tumor, [[mastocytosis]] and malignant melanoma.{{Citation needed|reason=Reliable source needed for the whole sentence|date=March 2020}}

The medication is being used in clinical trials to treat patients with [[SARS-CoV-2]]<ref name="auto">{{Cite web|url=https://www.newsweek.com/cuba-drug-fight-coronavirus-us-sanctions-1493872|title=Cuba uses "wonder drug" to fight coronavirus around the world despite U.S. sanctions| vauthors = O'Connor T  |date=March 24, 2020|website=Newsweek}}</ref> and there are published results in the peer-reviewed scientific literature.<ref name=ivermectin>{{cite journal | vauthors = Pereda R, González D, Rivero HB, Rivero JC, Pérez A, Lopez LD, Mezquia N, Venegas R, Betancourt JR, Domínguez RE, Nodarse H | display-authors = 6 | title = Therapeutic Effectiveness of Interferon Alpha 2b Treatment for COVID-19 Patient Recovery | journal = Journal of Interferon & Cytokine Research | volume = 40 | issue = 12 | pages = 578–588 | date = December 2020 | pmid = 33337933 | doi = 10.1089/jir.2020.0188 | s2cid = 229324680 }}</ref>

So far, two non-peer reviewed research articles have been published. One study at the [[University 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. <ref>{{Cite news|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/india-business/zydus-to-test-use-of-hep-c-med-for-virus/articleshow/75260635.cms|title = Zydus to test use of Hepatitis C medicine for virus | website=[[The Times of India]] | date=21 April 2020 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/brief-zydus-explores-biologicals-route-t-idUSFWN2C51DU|title = BRIEF-Zydus Explores Biologicals Route to Treat Coronavirus with Interferon Alpha-2B|newspaper = Reuters|date = 20 April 2020}}</ref>

This drug is also used off-label in cats and dogs, both by injection and orally.<ref name="WW">{{cite web | vauthors = Forney B |date= |title=Interferon Alpha-2B for Veterinary Use |url=https://www.wedgewoodpharmacy.com/learning-center/professional-monographs/interferon-alpha-2b-for-veterinary-use.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211019032534/https://www.wedgewoodpharmacy.com/learning-center/professional-monographs/interferon-alpha-2b-for-veterinary-use.html |archive-date=2021-10-19 |website=Wedgewood Pharmacy}}</ref> The cross-species nature of IFN-α allow it to work in non-human animals,<ref name=Yang07>{{cite journal | vauthors = Yang LM, Xue QH, Sun L, Zhu YP, Liu WJ | title = Cloning and characterization of a novel feline IFN-omega | journal = Journal of Interferon & Cytokine Research | volume = 27 | issue = 2 | pages = 119–127 | date = February 2007 | pmid = 17316139 | doi = 10.1089/jir.2006.0094 }}</ref> but the period of usefulness is limited by the production of antibodies against this foreign protein.<ref name=WW/>

{| class="wikitable"
!colspan="4"|Interferon alfa-2b products<ref>{{cite journal|url=http://www.pharma2020.ru/spaw2/uploads/files/321.pdf?pharma2020=091cae460ddce3b1fbe0d97fdf63e4ae|title=Russia through the prism of the world biopharmaceutical market| vauthors = Bairamashvili DI, Rabinovich ML |year=2007|journal=Biotechnol. J.|volume=2|issue=7 |pages=801–817 |doi=10.1002/biot.200700091 |pmid=17615600 |s2cid=26770545 |access-date=2009-06-14|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120224134036/http://www.pharma2020.ru/spaw2/uploads/files/321.pdf?pharma2020=091cae460ddce3b1fbe0d97fdf63e4ae|archive-date=2012-02-24|url-status=dead}}</ref>
|-
!Product
!Manufacturer
!Features
!Special uses
|-
| Alpharona
|[[Pharmaclon]]
|
|
|-
| Intron-A/IntronA
|[[Schering-Plough]]
|
|
|-
| Realderon
|[[Teva Pharmaceutical Industries|Teva]]
|
|
|-
| Reaferon EC
|[[GNC Vector]]
|
|
|-
| Reaferon EC-Lipint
|[[Vector-Medica]]
|[[liposomal]]
|
|-
| Infagel
|[[Vector-Medica]]
| ointment
|
|-
| Recolin
|[[Vector-Medica]]
|
|
|-
| Altevir
|[[Bioprocess]] subsidiary
| liquid, free of [[Human serum albumin|HSA]]
|
|-
| Kipferon
|[[Alfarm]]
| combination with [[IgM]], [[IgA]], [[Immunoglobulin G|IgG]]
|
|-
| Giaferon
|[[A/S Vitafarma]]
|
|
|-
| Genferon
|[[Biocad]]
|
|
|-
| Opthalamoferon
|[[Firn-M]]
| with [[dimedrol]]
| eye infections
|-
| Heberon Alfa R
|[[BioCubaFarma]], Cuban-Chinese joint venture [[ChangHeber]]<ref>{{Cite web | vauthors = Makichuk D |url=https://asiatimes.com/2020/04/covid-contenders-viral-drugs-that-offer-hope/|title=Covid contenders: Viral drugs that offer hope | work = Asia Times |date=18 April 2020}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://oncubanews.com/en/cuba/the-famous-cuban-interferon-vs-the-sars-cov-2-coronavirus/|title = The famous Cuban interferon vs the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus|date = 19 March 2020}}</ref>
|
| [[severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS)]], [[Middle East respiratory syndrome]] (MERS), [[SARS-CoV-2|Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://amerika21.de/2020/03/238594/interferon-kuba-deutschland|title=Medikament aus Kuba zur Behandlung des Coronavirus bald auch in Deutschland?|date=30 March 2020}}</ref>
|-
|}

== See also ==
* [[Interferon]]
* [[Ropeginterferon alfa-2b]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== Further reading ==
{{refbegin}}
* {{cite web | url = http://www.emea.europa.eu/humandocs/PDFs/EPAR/Introna/H-281-PI-en.pdf | title = Intron-A Summary of Product Characteristics | publisher = European Medicines Agency | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20091107054423/http://www.emea.europa.eu/humandocs/PDFs/EPAR/Introna/H-281-PI-en.pdf | archive-date = 2009-11-07 }}
* {{cite journal | vauthors = Nagata S, Taira H, Hall A, Johnsrud L, Streuli M, Ecsödi J, Boll W, Cantell K, Weissmann C | display-authors = 6 | title = Synthesis in E. coli of a polypeptide with human leukocyte interferon activity | journal = Nature | volume = 284 | issue = 5754 | pages = 316–320 | date = March 1980 | pmid = 6987533 | doi = 10.1038/284316a0 | s2cid = 4310807 | bibcode = 1980Natur.284..316N }}
{{refend}}

== External links ==
{{Commons category}}

{{Interferons}}
{{Immunostimulants}}
{{DNA antivirals}}
{{RNA antivirals}}
{{Cytokine receptor modulators}}

[[Category:Antiviral drugs]]
[[Category:Drugs developed by Schering-Plough]]
[[Category:Drugs developed by Merck & Co.]]