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Interferon alfa-2b
Clinical data
MedlinePlus	a690006
License data	EU EMA: by INN;
Routes of; administration	Subcutaneous, intramuscular
ATC code	L03AB05 (WHO) ;
Legal status
Legal status	UK: POM (Prescription only); US: ℞-only;
Identifiers
CAS Number	98530-12-2 [DrugBank];
IUPHAR/BPS	8338;
DrugBank	DB00105 ;
ChemSpider	none;
UNII	43K1W2T1M6;
ChEMBL	ChEMBL1201558 ;
ECHA InfoCard	100.208.165
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Interferon alfa-2b is an antiviral or antineoplastic drug. It is a recombinant form of the protein Interferon alpha-2 that was originally sequenced and produced recombinantly in E. coli^[1] in the laboratory of Charles Weissmann at the University of Zurich, in 1980.^[2]^[3] 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.^[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 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]}

The medication is being used in clinical trials to treat patients with SARS-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 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. ^[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 of HSA
Kipferon	Alfarm	combination with IgM, IgA, IgG
Giaferon	A/S Vitafarma
Genferon	Biocad
Opthalamoferon	Firn-M	with dimedrol	eye infections
Heberon Alfa R	BioCubaFarma, Cuban-Chinese joint venture ChangHeber^[12]^[13]		severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS), Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)^[14]

References

^ Nagata S, Taira H, Hall A, Johnsrud L, Streuli M, Ecsödi J, et al. (March 1980). "Synthesis in E. coli of a polypeptide with human leukocyte interferon activity". Nature. 284 (5754): 316–320. Bibcode:1980Natur.284..316N. doi:10.1038/284316a0. PMID 6987533. S2CID 4310807.
^ Weissmann C (2001). "Recombinant interferon - the 20th anniversary". In Buckel P (ed.). Recombinant Protein Drugs. Milestones in Drug Therapy. Basel: Birkhäuser. pp. 3–41. doi:10.1007/978-3-0348-8346-7_1. ISBN 978-3-0348-8346-7.
^ Mantei N, Schwarzstein M, Streuli M, Panem S, Nagata S, Weissmann C (June 1980). "The nucleotide sequence of a cloned human leukocyte interferon cDNA". Gene. 10 (1): 1–10. doi:10.1016/0378-1119(80)90137-7. PMID 6157600.
^ Nodarse-Cuní H, López-Saura PA (2017). "Cuban interferon alpha-2b. Thirty years as an effective and safe drug". Biotecnología Aplicada. 34 (1): 1211–1217. ISSN 1027-2852.
^ O'Connor T (March 24, 2020). "Cuba uses "wonder drug" to fight coronavirus around the world despite U.S. sanctions". Newsweek.
^ Pereda R, González D, Rivero HB, Rivero JC, Pérez A, Lopez LD, et al. (December 2020). "Therapeutic Effectiveness of Interferon Alpha 2b Treatment for COVID-19 Patient Recovery". Journal of Interferon & Cytokine Research. 40 (12): 578–588. doi:10.1089/jir.2020.0188. PMID 33337933. S2CID 229324680.
^ "Zydus to test use of Hepatitis C medicine for virus". The Times of India. 21 April 2020.
^ "BRIEF-Zydus Explores Biologicals Route to Treat Coronavirus with Interferon Alpha-2B". Reuters. 20 April 2020.
^ ^a ^b Forney B. "Interferon Alpha-2B for Veterinary Use". Wedgewood Pharmacy. Archived from the original on 2021-10-19.
^ Yang LM, Xue QH, Sun L, Zhu YP, Liu WJ (February 2007). "Cloning and characterization of a novel feline IFN-omega". Journal of Interferon & Cytokine Research. 27 (2): 119–127. doi:10.1089/jir.2006.0094. PMID 17316139.
^ Bairamashvili DI, Rabinovich ML (2007). "Russia through the prism of the world biopharmaceutical market" (PDF). Biotechnol. J. 2 (7): 801–817. doi:10.1002/biot.200700091. PMID 17615600. S2CID 26770545. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-02-24. Retrieved 2009-06-14.
^ Makichuk D (18 April 2020). "Covid contenders: Viral drugs that offer hope". Asia Times.
^ "The famous Cuban interferon vs the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus". 19 March 2020.
^ "Medikament aus Kuba zur Behandlung des Coronavirus bald auch in Deutschland?". 30 March 2020.