Efficacy of recombinant interferon α-2b in the complex therapy of COVID-19

Objective. To evaluate the efficacy and safety of VIFERON® (recombinant interferon α-2b) rectal suppositories and gel for external and local use in the complex therapy of COVID-19 in adult patients. Patients and methods. 140 patients with COVID-19 were included in a prospective comparative controlled research study. The main group consisted of 71 patients who received standard therapy for coronavirus infection in combination with VIFERON® (rectal suppositories 3.000.000 IU for 1 supp. 3 times a day and gel 36.000 IU/g 5 times a day on the surface of nasal mucosa and palatine tonsils for 14 days); the comparison group – 69 patients who received standard therapy. Results. Patients who received VIFERON® complex therapy demonstrated more rapid clinical improvement by reducing the duration of symptoms of weakness and intoxication compared to the patients who received only standard therapy. The high activity of VIFERON® in elimination rate of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in nasopharyngeal samples was shown. The use of VIFERON® made it possible to achieve a stable concentration of IL-6 in the blood serum during the entire follow-up period. There were no adverse events associated with the administration of VIFERON®. Conclusion. The results obtained indicate the superiority of therapy with the inclusion of VIFERON® over standard therapy. Given the favorable safety profile, the studied regimen can be recommended for the treatment of adult patients, especially from risk groups, where the possibilities of conventional etiotropic therapy are limited due to possible toxicological effects. Key words: VIFERON®, human recombinant interferon α-2b, COVID-19 coronavirus infection