Interferon alfa-2b

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Interferon alfa-2b
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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]

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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]
ProductManufacturerFeaturesSpecial 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 subsidiaryliquid, 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]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Interferon</span> Signaling proteins released by host cells in response to the presence of pathogens

Interferons are a group of signaling proteins made and released by host cells in response to the presence of several viruses. In a typical scenario, a virus-infected cell will release interferons causing nearby cells to heighten their anti-viral defenses.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cytokine</span> Broad and loose category of small proteins important in cell signaling

Cytokines are a broad and loose category of small proteins important in cell signaling. Due to their size, cytokines cannot cross the lipid bilayer of cells to enter the cytoplasm and therefore typically exert their functions by interacting with specific cytokine receptors on the target cell surface. Cytokines have been shown to be involved in autocrine, paracrine and endocrine signaling as immunomodulating agents.

Pegylated interferon alfa-2a, sold under the brand name Pegasys among others, is medication used to treat hepatitis C and hepatitis B. For hepatitis C it is typically used together with ribavirin and cure rates are between 24 and 92%. For hepatitis B it may be used alone. It is given by injection under the skin.

Pegylated interferon alfa-2b is a drug used to treat melanoma, as an adjuvant therapy to surgery. Also used to treat hepatitis C, it is no longer recommended due to poor efficacy and adverse side-effects. Subcutaneous injection is the preferred delivery method.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Interferon type I</span> Cytokine

The type-I interferons (IFN) are cytokines which play essential roles in inflammation, immunoregulation, tumor cells recognition, and T-cell responses. In the human genome, a cluster of thirteen functional IFN genes is located at the 9p21.3 cytoband over approximately 400 kb including coding genes for IFNα, IFNω (IFNW1), IFNɛ (IFNE), IFNк (IFNK) and IFNβ (IFNB1), plus 11 IFN pseudogenes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">IFNB1</span> Protein-coding gene in the species Homo sapiens

Interferon beta is a protein that in humans is encoded by the IFNB1 gene. The natural and recombinant protein forms have antiviral, antibacterial, and anticancer properties.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">IFNA2</span> Mammalian protein found in Homo sapiens

Interferon alpha-2 is a protein that in humans is encoded by the IFNA2 gene.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">IFNA17</span> Protein-coding gene in the species Homo sapiens

Interferon alpha-17 is a protein that in humans is encoded by the IFNA17 gene.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">IFNA7</span> Protein-coding gene in the species Homo sapiens

Interferon alpha-7 is a protein that in humans is encoded by the IFNA7 gene.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">IFNA14</span> Protein-coding gene in the species Homo sapiens

Interferon alpha-14 is a protein that in humans is encoded by the IFNA14 gene.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">IFNA8</span> Protein-coding gene in the species Homo sapiens

Interferon alpha-8 is a protein that in humans is encoded by the IFNA8 gene.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">IFNA21</span> Protein-coding gene in the species Homo sapiens

Interferon alpha-21 is a protein that in humans is encoded by the IFNA21 gene.

Albinterferon is a recombinant fusion protein drug consisting of interferon alpha (IFN-α) linked to human albumin. 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.

Interferon alfa (INN) or HuIFN-alpha-Le, trade name Multiferon, is a pharmaceutical drug composed of natural interferon alpha (IFN-α), obtained from the leukocyte fraction of human blood following induction with Sendai virus. Interferon alfa contains several naturally occurring IFN-α subtypes and is purified by affinity chromatography. Although the pharmaceutical product is often simply called "interferon alpha" or "IFN-α" like its endogenous counterpart, the product's International nonproprietary name (INN) is interferon alfa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">IFNA13</span> Protein-coding gene in the species Homo sapiens

Interferon alpha-1/13, also known as IFN-alpha-1/13, is a protein that in humans is encoded by the IFNA1 and IFNA13 genes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Interferon Lambda 3</span> Protein-coding gene in the species Homo sapiens

Interferon lambda 3 encodes the IFNL3 protein. IFNL3 was formerly named IL28B, but the Human Genome Organization Gene Nomenclature Committee renamed this gene in 2013 while assigning a name to the then newly discovered IFNL4 gene. Together with IFNL1 and IFNL2, these genes lie in a cluster on chromosomal region 19q13. IFNL3 shares ~96% amino-acid identity with IFNL2, ~80% identity with IFNL1 and ~30% identity with IFNL4.

Shigekazu Nagata is a Japanese biochemist, best known for research on apoptosis, the process of programmed cell death occurring in multi-cellular organisms.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Narlaprevir</span> Chemical compound

Narlaprevir, is an inhibitor of NS3/4A serine protease, intended for the treatment of chronic hepatitis C caused by genotype 1 virus in combination with other antiviral drugs.

Eleanor N. Fish is a Canadian immunologist who is a Professor of Immunology at the University of Toronto. Her research considers how cytokines and chemokines interact with receptors in cells and tissue. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Fish tested interferon-alpha as a treatment for coronavirus disease.

Recombinant feline interferon omega (RFeIFN-ω), sold under the brand name Virbagen Omega among others, is a recombinant version of a cat interferon alpha. It is used to treat a range of viral diseases in cats and dogs, including canine parvovirus, feline leukemia virus (FeLV), and feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) in many countries. It is approved to be used by injection under the skin. RFeIFN-ω is produced in silkworm larvae using a baculovirus vector.

References

  1. ↑ 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.
  2. ↑ 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.
  3. ↑ 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.
  4. ↑ 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.
  5. ↑ O'Connor T (March 24, 2020). "Cuba uses "wonder drug" to fight coronavirus around the world despite U.S. sanctions". Newsweek.
  6. ↑ 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.
  7. ↑ "Zydus to test use of Hepatitis C medicine for virus". The Times of India . 21 April 2020.
  8. ↑ "BRIEF-Zydus Explores Biologicals Route to Treat Coronavirus with Interferon Alpha-2B". Reuters. 20 April 2020.
  9. 1 2 Forney B. "Interferon Alpha-2B for Veterinary Use". Wedgewood Pharmacy. Archived from the original on 2021-10-19.
  10. ↑ 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.
  11. ↑ 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.
  12. ↑ Makichuk D (18 April 2020). "Covid contenders: Viral drugs that offer hope". Asia Times.
  13. ↑ "The famous Cuban interferon vs the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus". 19 March 2020.
  14. ↑ "Medikament aus Kuba zur Behandlung des Coronavirus bald auch in Deutschland?". 30 March 2020.

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