Grippferon: dosage forms, side effects

Interferon alpha-2b
(
IFNα-2b
,
IFNα-2b
) is an immunomodulator used in the treatment of hepatitis C, chronic forms of hepatitis B, chronic myeloid leukemia, multiple myeloma, follicular lymphoma, carcinoid tumors and malignant melanoma[1]. Like all interferons, it has pyrogenic properties.

Interferons are produced by body cells to fight infections and tumors, interferon alpha-2b is synthetic[2]. In appearance it is a hygroscopic white powder[3]. It is produced under many commercial names and is part of a number of combination medications.

What is Grippferon

This is a drug for the prevention and treatment of acute respiratory viral infections based on recombinant human interferon - a complex of protective immunoglobulins. The product blocks the activity of viruses at an early stage, greatly enhances the body’s natural immune response when infectious pathogens penetrate it: influenza, parainfluenza and other acute respiratory viral infections. Its action promotes the production of one’s own protective antibodies, prevents the severe course of the disease and significantly shortens its period.

Grippferon is a liquid transparent solution, yellowish, odorless. The interferon content in 1 ml of the drug is 10,000 IU, which corresponds to 15–20 doses of use. In addition to the main component, the drug contains purified water, sodium chloride, potassium salts and stabilizers.

Alternative uses of interferon alfa-2b[ | ]

In Russia and the CIS, many interferon-containing products are produced for topical use with indications for the treatment of diseases of a viral and bacterial nature: Viferon®, Grippferon®, Gerpferon®, Oftalmoferon®, Reaferon-Lipint®, Genferon® Light, etc.[13]

Such drugs are advertised without evidence, in particular, for use against colds and flu. WHO emphasizes that there are neither high-quality clinical studies of the effectiveness nor systematic observations of the topical use of interferons for influenza[14].

In experiments using interferon alpha-2b for natural and induced colds, researchers came to the conclusion that there was no therapeutic effect [9]. One study of the use of a nasal spray with recombinant interferon alpha-2b showed that it was not only ineffective in treating colds, but was toxic and increased the chances of developing a secondary infection[15].

Pharmacodynamics

Urgent prevention in case of possible contact with a pathogen reduces the risk of getting sick by more than 90%. After administration, the drug acts on respiratory viral particles, preventing them from multiplying and penetrating deep into the body through the mucous membranes.

Grippferon is effective against a wide range of pathogens: adenoviruses, rotaviruses, rhinoviruses, coronaviruses and others. During the course of treatment, the solution moderately reduces the inflammatory reaction, slightly dries the epithelium, and helps eliminate cold symptoms.

From the first hours of using the drug, the secretion of mucus from the nose decreases, body temperature stabilizes, headaches and general malaise decrease. At an early stage of the disease, complete relief of its symptoms is possible. Later treatment helps prevent the complicated course of ARVI: the development of otitis, sinusitis, pneumonia.

The medicine does not have a negative effect on the functioning of internal organs and systems. Its properties are not affected by the simultaneous use of symptomatic remedies: against cough, throat and nose congestion. There is no addiction or withdrawal syndrome after using Grippferon.

pharmachologic effect

Nasal spray and drops have a wide range of therapeutic effects. They have a clear anti-inflammatory, antiviral and immunomodulatory effect.

The drug is intended for the treatment and prevention of influenza conditions and various viral infections.

Due to local administration, it ensures prolonged interaction of the active substance with the nasal mucosa. Against this background, specific immunity is developed and the body’s susceptibility to pathologies increases.

Grippferon does not provoke drug addiction and does not require the prescription of additional symptomatic drugs.

The unique composition of the drug perfectly dries the mucous membrane, has an adsorbing effect, increasing the healing properties of the main substance.

Application and dosage

For prevention, drops and spray are used throughout the day, applied to clean nasal mucous membranes 1–2 times a day:

• after contact with infected people;
• after hypothermia or prolonged exposure to the street.

The dose is adjusted according to age: from 1 to 3 drops or aerosol presses into each nostril.

To treat an existing disease, the solution is used 4 to 6 times a day. It is allowed to use the medicine at night. Course duration: up to 5–7 days.

Content

• 1 Pharmacological properties of the drug 1.1 Pharmadynamics
• 1.2 Pharmacokinetics

Can Grippferon be used for children?

An interferon-based antiviral agent is indicated for patients under 1 year of age, from the first month of life. For infants and children under 3 years of age, it is preferable to choose a spray; it is better distributed throughout the mucous membrane, without flowing into the oropharynx. If you suspect infection or the first symptoms of the disease:

• 1 dose 5 times a day for infants up to 1 year;
• 2 doses three times a day for children from 1 to 3 years;
• 2 doses every 2–3 hours during the day for children over 3 years of age and adolescents.

Notes[ | ]

1. ↑ 1 2
   Interferon Alfa-2b Injection
   (unspecified)
   .
   MedlinePlus
   . US National Library of Medicine (September 15, 2015).
2. Interferon Alfa-2b (Injection Route) (undefined)
   .
   Drugs and Supplements
   . Mayo Clinic (February 1, 2020). Date accessed: April 13, 2020.
3. ↑ 12
   Laifferon, instructions, 2012.
4. ↑ 12
   Binnoferon Alpha, instructions, 2021.
5. ↑ 1234
   Binnoferon Alpha, instructions, 2021, p. 4.
6. ↑ 12
   Binnoferon Alpha, instructions, 2021, p. 5.
7. Tkacheva et al., 1999.
8. Behçet's disease (undefined)
   .
   The portal for rare diseases and orphan drugs
   (01.12.2012).
9. ↑ 1 2 Mossad, SB
   Treatment of the common cold: [English] // BMJ (Clinical Research ed.). - 1998. - Vol. 317, no. 7150 (July). — P. 33–36. — ISSN 0959-8138. - doi:10.1136/bmj.317.7150.33. - PMID 9651268. - PMC 1113448.
10. Bennett, AL
    Low-dose oral interferon alpha as prophylaxis against viral respiratory illness: a double-blind, parallel controlled trial during an influenza pandemic year: [English] / AL Bennett, DW Smith, MJ Cummins ... [et al.] / / Influenza Other Respir Viruses. — 2013. — Vol. 7, no. 5 (February). — P. 854–862. — ISSN 1750-2659. - doi:10.1111/irv.12094. - PMID 23398960. - PMC 5781220.
11. Reddy, U.
    Antiangiogenic therapy with interferon alfa for neovascular age-related macular degeneration: [English] / U. Reddy, M. Kryzstolik // Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. - 2006. - Vol. 1 (25 January). - CD005138. - doi:10.1002/14651858.CD005138.pub2. - PMID 16437522.
12. Qiong Zhou, Virginia Chen, Casey P. Shannon, Xiao-Shan Wei, Xuan Xiang.
    Interferon-α2b Treatment for COVID-19 (English) // Frontiers in Immunology. - 2021. - T. 11. - ISSN 1664-3224. - doi:10.3389/fimmu.2020.01061.
13. Interferon Alpha-2b (Interferon alpha-2b). Single-component preparations (undefined)
    . Directory Vidal “Medicines in Russia”.
14. WHO, 2009: “Therefore, whether immunomodulators such as interferons are useful as an adjunctive therapy is uncertain... There are no published clinical randomized controlled trials or observational studies of current intranasal interferon preparations for the treatment of influenza.”
15. Hayden, FG
    Intranasal recombinant alfa-2b interferon treatment of naturally occurring common colds: [English] / FG Hayden, DL Kaiser, JK Albrecht // Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy. - 1988. - T. 32 (February). — P. 224–230. — ISSN 0066-4804. - PMID 2834996. - PMC 172139/.
16. Reaferon-EU, instructions, 2014.
17. On conferring the honorary title “Honored Worker of Science and Technology of the RSFSR”: Decree of the President of the RSFSR / President of the RSFSR B. Yeltsin. - 1991. - November 28.
18. ↑ 1234567
    Golunov, 2013.
19. Kolobukhina, L.V.
    Viferon in the treatment and prevention of acute respiratory viral infections // Russian Medical Journal. - 2003. - No. 5 (March 6). — P. 306.
20. Appendix: List of vital and essential drugs for 2012 // Order of the Government of the Russian Federation of December 7, 2011 N 2199-r: On approval of the list of vital and essential drugs for 2012.
21. ↑ 12
    Pharmaceutical market of Russia. - M.: DSM Group, 2015. - Issue. February 2015.
22. When will inexpensive, high-quality medicines appear in Kazakhstan (Russian). Forbes Kazakhstan
    (July 3, 2015). Date accessed: August 1, 2021.
23. Russian Pharma Awards®. Oscar for Medicine® (Russian). Russian Pharma Awards
    . Date accessed: January 24, 2021.
24. Oscar for medicine: how the Russian Pharma Awards 2021 went. Press release (Russian). Vesti Medicine (November 15, 2019). Date accessed: January 24, 2021.
25. Viferon, instructions, 2021.
26. Certificates and licenses (Russian). Viferon®
    (May 11, 2018).
    Date accessed: December 2, 2021.[ affiliated source?
    ]
27. Mongol Ulsad Burtgeltey Emiin Olson Zhagsaalt: [Mongolian] / Mongol Health development center. - Ulanbaatar, 2015. - P. 28. - 205 p. — [List of drugs registered in Mongolia].
28. Search for medicines (Azerb.). Center for Analytical Expertise of the Republic of Azerbaijan
    . Access date: September 8, 2021.
29. Permission to conduct clinical research No. 472 (Russian). State register of medicines
    . Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation. Date accessed: December 2, 2021.
30. Permission to conduct a clinical trial No. 19 State Register of Medicines (Russian). Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation. Date accessed: December 2, 2021.
31. RU No. 002902/01.
32. ↑ 12
    Oftalmoferon, instructions, 2012.

Side effects and contraindications

The drug is well tolerated in most cases. Occasionally, manifestations of hypersensitivity are possible:

• itching;
• severe dryness of the mucous membrane;
• burning.

Grippferon is contraindicated only if the body has an allergic reaction to any of the components.

The drug does not affect concentration and psychomotor skills. They do not require restrictions when driving vehicles or operating equipment during treatment.

Efficiency[ | ]

It is useless in the treatment of colds (mild acute respiratory viral infections), effective only in prevention when taken before the onset of symptoms of the disease[9], and has no effect in oral prevention of influenza at low dosages[10].

Interferon alfa-2b injections can lead to serious side effects, which may include infections, depression, ischemic or autoimmune disorders[1].

Macular degeneration[ | ]

Interferon alfa-2a is not effective in the treatment of neovascular age-related macular degeneration (macular degeneration). The harm from such treatment outweighs the benefits[11].

COVID-19[ | ]

In an uncontrolled study, experimental interferon alfa-2b therapy reduced viral load in the upper respiratory tract and also resulted in a decrease in the duration of elevated interleukin-6 and C-reactive protein levels in the blood. However, additional research is required to confirm the data[12].

Literature[ | ]

Sources

• Nagata S., Taira H., Hall A., et al.
  Synthesis in E. coli of a polypeptide with human leukocyte interferon activity (English) // Nature: journal. - 1980. - March (vol. 284, no. 5754). - P. 316-320. - doi:10.1038/284316a0. - PMID 6987533.
• 1.8. Other products // WHO Pharmacological Management of Pandemic Influenza A (H1N1) 2009 Part II: Review of Evidence: [English]. — Revised February 2010. — Geneva: World Health Organization, 2009. — P. 21. — 61 p.
• Osterlund, P.
  Pandemic H1N1 2009 influenza A virus induces weak cytokine responses in human macrophages and dendritic cells and is highly sensitive to the antiviral actions of interferons: [English] / P. Osterlund, J. Pirhonen, N. Ikonen … [et al.] // Journal of Virol. - 2010. - Vol. 84, no. 3. - P. 1414–1422. - doi:10.1128/JVI.01619-09. - PMID 19939920. - PMC 2812319.
• Woo, PC
  Cytokine profiles induced by the novel swine-origin influenza A/H1N1 virus: implications for treatment strategies. : [English] / PC Woo, ET Tung, KH Chan ... [et al.] // Journal of Infectious Diseases. - 2010. - Vol. 201, no. 3. - P. 346–353. - doi:10.1086/649785.. - PMID 20030555.

Official documents

• Register entry FS-001808 (Russian). State register of medicines
  . Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation (September 25, 2018). Date accessed: July 31, 2019.
• Registration certificate P N002902/01 (Russian). State register of medicines
  . Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation (October 6, 2008). Date accessed: August 2, 2019.
• Registration certificate P N001142/02 (Russian). State register of medicines
  . Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation (April 13, 2010). Date accessed: August 2, 2019.
• Gordeeva, N. G.
  Instructions for medical use of the drug Binnoferon Alfa®: Registration number LP-004881 / Binnopharm JSC. — Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, 2018. — June 5. — 32 s.
• Kirillov, N. E.
  Instructions for medical use of the drug Ophthalmoferon®: Registration number LP-002902 / CJSC "FIRN M". - Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, 2012. - February 24. — 4 s.
• Malinovsky, E. U.
  Instructions for medical use of the drug Viferon®: Registration number 001142/02 / Feron LLC. — Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, 2021. — October 25. — 5 s.
• Gutova, E. A.
  Instructions for medical use of the drug Laifferon®: LS-001989-180512 / Vector-Medica CJSC. - Ministry of Health and Social Development of the Russian Federation, 2012. - May 18. — 6 s.
• Gutova, E. A.
  Instructions for the medical use of the drug Reaferon-EC: P #000642/01-280414 / Vector-Medica CJSC. - Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, 2014. - April 28. — 12 s.

Publications in Russian

• Ershov, Felix Ivanovich.
  The interferon system is normal and in pathology / Ros. acad. honey. nauk.. - M.: Medicine, 1996. - 238, [1] p. — ISBN 5-225-02863-2.
• Moskovskaya, I. A.
  Algorithm for the prevention of vertical transmission and implementation of perinatal viral infection of hepatitis C and B viruses // Viral hepatitis in the Russian Federation: reference book / I. A. Moskovskaya, G. E. Kholodnyak, N. V. Rybakova. - St. Petersburg. : FGUN NIIEM im. Pasteur Rospotrebnadzor, 2010. - 203, [1] p. : ill. — ISBN 978-5-904405-13-7.
• Tkacheva, I. I.
  Rational methods of prevention and treatment of infectious and inflammatory diseases of the mother of the fetus and newborn in obstetric and extragenital pathology: [arch. August 18, 2019] / I. I. Tkacheva, T. G. Tareeva, A. V. Fedotova... [etc.] // Bulletin of the Russian Association of Obstetricians and Gynecologists: journal. - 1999. - No. 3.