User:Mr. Ibrahem/Interferon alfa
| Mr. Ibrahem/Interferon alfa | |
|---|---|
| Drug class | |
| Pronunciation | in"' ter feer' on[1] |
| Synonyms | HuIFN-alpha-Le |
| Clinical data | |
| Drugs.com | Monograph |
| Legal status | |
Interferon alfa is a group of medications used to treat a number of cancers and viral infections.[1] Cancers it is used for include kidney, melanoma, multiple myeloma, leukemia, Kaposi's sarcoma, and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.[2] Types of infections it is used for include hepatitis B and hepatitis C.[1] It is typically given by injection under the skin.[2]
Common side effects include fever, headache, joint pains, tiredness, hair loss, depression, shortness of breath, and low white blood cells.[3] Other side effects may include liver problems and pancreatitis.[1][3] It is a cytokine normally produced by the immune system.[1] There are a number of types including interferon alfa-2a, interferon alfa-2b, and interferon alfa-n3.[1][3] These may be pegylated (peginterferon alfa-2a and alfa-2b) to extend their duration of effect.[1]
Interferon alfa was approved for medical use in the United States in the 1980s for cancer and the 1990s for hepatitis B and C.[1] The pegylated version became available in 2000.[1] Interferon alfa-2a is no longer made.[4] In the United Kingdom peginterferon alfa-2a is commercially available.[5]
References[edit]
- ^ a b c d e f g h i "Alpha Interferon". LiverTox: Clinical and Research Information on Drug-Induced Liver Injury. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. 2012. Archived from the original on 23 October 2021. Retrieved 27 November 2021.
- ^ a b "Interferon alfa | Cancer information | Cancer Research UK". www.cancerresearchuk.org. Archived from the original on 2021-10-17. Retrieved 2021-10-17.
- ^ a b c "Interferon Alfa Monograph for Professionals". Drugs.com. Archived from the original on 1 September 2015. Retrieved 27 November 2021.
- ^ "Roferon-A, Interferon alfa-2a recombinant, injectable solution, 1mL". National Museum of American History. Archived from the original on 26 October 2016. Retrieved 27 November 2021.
- ^ BNF 81: March-September 2021. BMJ Group and the Pharmaceutical Press. 2021. p. 664. ISBN 978-0857114105.