Interferon alfacon-1
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Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Sheng Shi, M.D. [2]
Overview
Interferon alfacon-1 is a recombinant synthetic type I interferon used for the treatment of hairy cell leukemia, malignant melanoma and AIDS-related Kaposi's sarcoma.[1]
Category
Antiviral
US Brand Names
INFERGEN®
FDA Package Insert
Description | Clinical Pharmacology | Microbiology | Indications and Usage | Contraindications | Warnings and Precautions | Adverse Reactions | Drug Interactions | Overdosage | Clinical Studies | Dosage and Administration | How Supplied | Labels and Packages
Mechanism of Action
Interferon alfacon-1 is a recombinant hybrid protein based on the consensus amino acid sequence of naturally occurring human type-I interferon alphas. Type-I interferons are a family of small protein molecules with molecular weights of 15,000 to 21,000 daltons that are produced and secreted by cells in response to viral infections or to various synthetic and biological inducers. Interferons do not act directly on the virus but bind to the interferon cell-surface receptor leading to the production of several interferon-stimulated gene products. Interferons induce pleiotropic biologic responses which include antiviral, antiproliferative, and immunomodulatory effects, regulation of cell surface major histocompatibility antigen (HLA class I and class II) expression and regulation of cytokine expression.