Drug Action
Interferon alfa has shown some antitumour effect in certain lymphomas and solid tumours.
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Drug reference
Interferon alfa has shown some antitumour effect in certain lymphomas and solid tumours.
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INTRONA ® PEN Chronic myelogenous leukaemia (as monotherapy or in combination with cytarabine) | Hairy cell leukaemia | Follicular lymphoma | Lymph or liver metastases of carcinoid tumour | Chronic hepatitis B | Chronic hepatitis C | Adjunct to surgery in malignant melanoma | Maintenance of remission in multiple myeloma ▶BY SUBCUTANEOUS INJECTION ▶Adult: (consult local protocol) INTRONA ® VIALS Chronic myelogenous leukaemia (as monotherapy or in combination with cytarabine) | Hairy cell leukaemia | Follicular lymphoma | Lymph or liver metastases of carcinoid tumour | Chronic hepatitis B | Chronic hepatitis C | Adjunct to surgery in malignant melanoma | Maintenance of remission in multiple myeloma ▶BY SUBCUTANEOUS INJECTION, OR BY INTRAVENOUS INFUSION ▶Adult: (consult local protocol) ROFERON-A ® Chronic myelogenous leukaemia | Hairy cell leukaemia | Chronic hepatitis B | Chronic hepatitis C | Adjunct to surgery in malignant melanoma | AIDS-related Kaposi’s sarcoma | Advanced renal cell carcinoma | Progressive cutaneous T-cell lymphoma | Follicular non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma ▶BY SUBCUTANEOUS INJECTION ▶Adult: (consult local protocol)
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For contra-indications consult product literature and local treatment protocol.
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For cautions consult product literature and local treatment protocol.
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NICE decisions ▶Peginterferon alfa, interferon alfa, and ribavirin for moderate to severe chronic hepatitis C (January 2004 and September 2010) NICE TA200 Interferon alfa for either monotherapy or combined therapy should be used only if neutropenia and thrombocytopenia are a particular risk. Patients receiving interferon alfa may be switched to peginterferon alfa. www.nice.org.uk/TA200
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→Appendix 1: interferons
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▶Common or very common Alopecia. anaemia. anxiety. appetite abnormal. arrhythmias. arthralgia. arthritis. asthenia. atrioventricular block. breast pain. chest pain. chills. concentration impaired. confusion. constipation. cough. cyanosis. decreased leucocytes. dehydration. depression. diarrhoea. dizziness. drowsiness. dry mouth. dyspnoea. electrolyte imbalance. eye disorders. eye inflammation. eye pain. fever. flushing. gastrointestinal discomfort. haemorrhage. headaches. hepatic disorders. hyperhidrosis. hypertension. hyperthyroidism. hyperuricaemia. hypothyroidism. increased risk of infection. influenza like illness. lymphadenopathy. malaise. menstrual cycle irregularities. mood altered. muscle complaints. nasal complaints. nausea. oedema. oral disorders. pain. palpitations. respiratory disorders. sensation abnormal. sexual dysfunction. skin reactions. sleep disorders. taste altered. thirst. thrombocytopenia. tinnitus. tremor. urinary frequency increased. vaginal disorder. vertigo. vision disorders. vomiting. weight decreased ▶Uncommon Behaviour abnormal. hypotension. memory loss. nerve disorders. pericarditis. proteinuria. psychiatric disorders ▶Rare or very rare Agranulocytosis. angioedema. aplastic anaemia. autoimmune disorder. cardiac arrest. cardiomyopathy. central nervous system haemorrhage. cerebrovascular insufficiency. coma (more common with high doses in the elderly). congestive heart failure. consciousness impaired. diabetes mellitus. embolism and thrombosis. encephalopathy. gastrointestinal disorders. haemolytic anaemia. hallucination. hearing impairment. hyperglycaemia. hyperlipidaemia. hypertriglyceridaemia (sometimes severe). injection site necrosis. mucosal dryness. myocardial infarction. myocardial ischaemia. myopathy. nephrotic syndrome. pancreatitis. peripheral ischaemia. psychosis. pulmonary oedema. renal impairment. retinopathy. sarcoidosis. seizure (more common at high doses). sepsis. severe cutaneous adverse reactions (SCARs). suicidal tendencies. systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). thyroid disorder. ulcerative colitis. vasculitis ▶Frequency not known Hepatitis B reactivation. neutropenia. pericardial effusion. pulmonary arterial hypertension. pure red cell aplasia. tongue discolouration . transplant rejection
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Effective contraception required during treatment—consult product literature.
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Avoid unless potential benefit outweighs risk (toxicity in animal studies).
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Unlikely to be harmful.
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Manufacturer advises caution in mild to moderate impairment; avoid in severe impairment. Monitoring Close monitoring required in mild to moderate hepatic impairment.
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Avoid in severe renal impairment. Monitoring Close monitoring required in mild to moderate renal impairment.
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Monitoring of lipid concentration is recommended.
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INTRONA ® VIALS IntronA ® injection vials for subcutaneous injection or intravenous infusion. ROFERON-A ® Roferon-A ® injection for subcutaneous injection.
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There can be variation in the licensing of different medicines containing the same drug. Solution for injection EXCIPIENTS: May contain Benzyl alcohol ▶Roferon-A (Roche Products Ltd) Interferon alfa-2a 9 mega unit per 1 ml Roferon-A 4.5million units/0.5ml solution for injection pre-filled syringes | 1 pre-filled disposable injection P £21.29 DT = £21.29 Interferon alfa-2a 12 mega unit per 1 ml Roferon-A 6million units/0.5ml solution for injection pre-filled syringes | 1 pre-filled disposable injection P £28.37 DT = £28.37
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(consult local protocol)
First-line fragment. Read the complete Indications and Dose section above.
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(consult local protocol)
First-line fragment. Read the complete Indications and Dose section above.
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(consult local protocol)
First-line fragment. Read the complete Indications and Dose section above.
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