Interferons
20 compounds in this family, each with its recorded mechanism, routes of administration, safety notes and references to published literature.
- Albinterferon Alfa-2BAlbinterferon alfa-2b is a recombinant fusion protein that links human albumin to interferon‑alpha‑2b, creating a long‑acting type I interferon. It has been investigated as part of combination therapy with ribavirin for chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, principally genotypes 2 and 3. Clinical trials compared it with standard weekly pegylated interferon, using dosing intervals of two or four weeks.
- Human interferon betaHuman interferon beta (IFN‑β) is a type I cytokine approved as a prescription medicine for the treatment of multiple sclerosis. Delivered by injection, it exerts antiviral, immunomodulatory and anti‑proliferative actions, helping to slow disease progression in patients with this autoimmune disorder.
- Interferon alfaInterferon alfa is a prescription type I interferon cytokine used as an immunomodulatory therapy for certain viral infections (notably chronic hepatitis B and C) and selected cancers such as Kaposi's sarcoma, renal cell carcinoma and, historically, metastatic melanoma. It is administered by injection and can be formulated as standard or pegylated preparations to extend its activity.
- Interferon alfa-1bInterferon alfa-1b (IFN‑α1b) is a recombinant type I interferon approved for prescription use. It is administered by injection (intramuscular, intravenous, or subcutaneous) and has antiviral, immunomodulatory, and antiproliferative properties. Research has explored its role in chronic hepatitis B, COVID‑19 in infants, and as an adjunct in hepatocellular carcinoma and melanoma therapy.
- Interferon alfa-2aInterferon alfa‑2a is a recombinant type I interferon approved for prescription use. It is administered by injection and acts as an antiviral and immunomodulatory cytokine. Clinically it is employed as a pegylated formulation for chronic hepatitis B combination therapy and as cytoreductive treatment in myeloproliferative neoplasms such as polycythaemia vera and essential thrombocythemia.
- Interferon alfa-2bInterferon alfa-2b is a recombinant type I interferon cytokine that is prescribed for its antiviral, antiproliferative, and immunomodulatory effects. It is approved in pegylated form for cytoreductive therapy in polycythaemia vera and has been investigated for chronic viral hepatitis and as the therapeutic payload in an intravesical adenoviral gene‑therapy (nadofaragene firadenovec) for BCG‑unresponsive non‑muscle‑invasive bladder cancer. The drug can be administered by injection (intramuscular, subcutaneous, intravenous, intralesional) or, in the bladder study, by direct bladder instillation of a viral vector delivering its cDNA.
- Interferon alfa-2cInterferon alfa-2c (IFN‑α2c) is a recombinant type I interferon investigated for hematologic cancers such as Waldenström's macroglobulinemia, multiple myeloma, essential thrombocythemia, and chronic myelogenous leukemia, as well as for oral ulcers in Behçet's syndrome. It is administered by injection (subcutaneous, intramuscular, or intravenous) or as a topical hydrogel. Clinical reports show modest anti‑tumor activity and symptom relief, but its use remains investigational.
- Interferon alfa-n1Interferon alfa‑n1 is a naturally derived type I interferon cytokine produced from a human lymphoid cell line. Investigated primarily as an injectable biologic, it has been studied for antiviral activity against human papillomavirus and hepatitis C, as an adjuvant in recurrent respiratory papillomatosis, and for hematologic and solid‑tumor malignancies such as hairy‑cell leukaemia and renal cell carcinoma.
- Interferon alfa-n3Interferon alfa‑n3 is a naturally derived human type I interferon supplied for injection and approved as a prescription drug. Clinical investigations have examined its antiviral activity against early HIV‑1 infection, chronic hepatitis C virus, and its use as an adjuvant after surgical removal of anal condyloma. The agent is administered in unit‑based doses several times weekly.
- Interferon alfacon-1Interferon alfacon-1, also called consensus interferon or CIFN, is a synthetic type‑I interferon engineered from the most common amino‑acid residues of natural IFN‑α subtypes. It has been investigated primarily as an antiviral agent for chronic hepatitis C infection, often in combination with ribavirin, and has also been mentioned in historical reports of SARS‑CoV therapy. The drug was marketed as a prescription product but has since been withdrawn from the market.
- Interferon beta-1aInterferon beta-1a is a recombinant type I interferon approved as a disease‑modifying therapy for relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS). It is administered by injection (intramuscular or subcutaneous) and works to modulate immune activity, thereby reducing the frequency of clinical relapses and magnetic‑resonance imaging (MRI) evidence of disease activity.
- Interferon beta-1bInterferon beta-1b is a recombinant type I interferon cytokine approved for subcutaneous injection. It is primarily prescribed as a disease‑modifying therapy for relapsing‑remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS), where it reduces inflammatory activity and slows disability accumulation. The drug has also been examined in pharmacogenomic studies of COVID‑19 therapies, although clinical data for that indication are lacking.
- Interferon gamma-1bInterferon gamma‑1b (IFN‑γ1b) is a recombinant cytokine prescribed for chronic granulomatous disease (CGD) and investigated for other rare disorders. It is administered by injection to boost immune cell function, reduce serious infections in CGD, and has been studied as a potential antifibrotic agent in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and as a bridge therapy before hematopoietic stem‑cell transplantation in infantile osteopetrosis.
- Interferon KappaInterferon kappa (IFN‑κ) is a member of the type I interferon family that is selectively expressed by epidermal keratinocytes and, in mouse models, by trophoblast cells. It has been investigated for antiviral activity against viruses such as HPV, for its role in supporting early pregnancy through decidual lipid metabolism, and for its capacity to drive cutaneous lupus‑like disease when over‑expressed. All work to date remains at the research stage.
- Interferon tauInterferon tau (IFN‑τ) is a type I interferon produced exclusively by the trophoblast of early ruminant embryos. In cattle, sheep and goats it serves as the primary pregnancy‑recognition signal, preventing luteolysis and supporting implantation. Research also highlights its broader roles in stimulating uterine nutrient transport, modulating immune responses and influencing neuro‑endocrine axes, and it is being explored for anti‑inflammatory and metabolic applications in animal models.
- NovaferonNovaferon is a recombinant type I interferon analog produced by gene shuffling of IFN‑α. It is prescribed as an antiviral and immunomodulatory protein and has been investigated for treatment of COVID‑19 and certain cancers. The drug is approved for clinical use and can be administered by inhalation, intramuscular or subcutaneous injection.
- Peginterferon alfa-2aPeginterferon alfa-2a (Pegasys) is a pegylated type I interferon approved for chronic hepatitis C and used off‑label for hepatitis D and certain myeloproliferative neoplasms. The polyethylene glycol (PEG) attachment prolongs its circulation, allowing once‑weekly subcutaneous injection and providing antiviral and immunomodulatory activity that can lower viral load and modify disease course.
- Peginterferon alfa-2bPeginterferon alfa‑2b is a pegylated form of interferon‑alpha used by prescription for chronic hepatitis C infection. The polyethylene glycol (PEG) moiety prolongs the drug’s circulating half‑life, allowing subcutaneous injection once weekly instead of more frequent dosing required for non‑pegylated interferon. It is typically administered in combination with ribavirin to enhance antiviral efficacy.
- Peginterferon beta-1aPeginterferon beta-1a (Plegridy) is a PEGylated form of interferon‑beta‑1a approved as a disease‑modifying therapy for adults with relapsing‑remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS). By attaching a polyethylene glycol chain, the molecule attains a longer half‑life, allowing subcutaneous injection every two or four weeks instead of the more frequent dosing required for non‑PEG interferons.
- Peginterferon lambda-1aPeginterferon lambda-1a (also called Lambda, Peg-IFN‑λ) is an investigational, pegylated type‑III interferon administered subcutaneously once weekly. It has been studied primarily for chronic viral hepatitis (HCV and HBV) and, more recently, for outpatient COVID‑19. By engaging a receptor complex that is largely confined to hepatocytes, it aims to provide antiviral activity with fewer systemic side‑effects than the older type‑I (alfa) interferons.