AEGiS-GMHC: TREATMENT BRIEFS: Oral Alpha Interferon Study Results

Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 1992. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.

TREATMENT BRIEFS: Oral Alpha Interferon Study Results

TREATMENT ISSUES, Volume 6, Number 5; The Gay Men's Health Crisis Newsletter of Experimental Therapies - May/June 1992
David Gold

New reports indicate that individuals who are using or considering oral alpha interferon should be wary about claims of efficacy. The AIDS Research Advisory Committee (ARAC) of the National Institutes of Allergies and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) strongly recommend that patients seek alternatives to oral alpha interferon, specifically the version of the drug called Kemron. In 1990, the original Kemron trial in Kenya reported that people with AIDS or ARC who were given the drug had dramatic increases in T4 cells and improved symptoms. Study reports also claimed that eight people taking the drugs converted from HlV-positive to HlV-negative. The ARAC statement reports that 13 studies in the U.S. and abroad have failed to duplicate the results from the original Kenya trial. In a recent study by the Community Research Initiative of Toronto, 149 HIV-positive individuals with a T4 count under 700 were randomly assigned to receive oral alpha interferon (50 or 100IU/ day) or placebo. After eight weeks of treatment, no difference was found between patients taking drug and patients taking placebo in terms of T4 counts or symptoms. Unfortunately, the study included only one black person. The PWA Health Group, New York City's underground buyers' club, sells the drug, but makes no claim about how much drug is in the product. The Health Group has therefore decided to offer oral alpha interferon free of charge. The Health Group's number is (212) 255-2080. In a related matter, treatment activist and occasional Treatment Issues writer Derek Link has joined the PWA Health Group as Director of Quality Assurance, Research & Development.

Copyright (c) 1992 - Gay Men's Health Crisis. Non-commercial electronic dissemination encouraged. Distributed by AEGIS, your online gateway to a world of people, knowledge, and resources. Direct Dial: v.34+: 714.248.2836; v.120/ISDN: 714.248.0433 Internet: telnet:aegis.com www: www.aegis.com

9205
GM060510

Copyright © 1992 - Treatment Issues. Reproduced with permission. Treatment Issues is published twelve times yearly by GMHC, Inc. All rights reserved. Noncommercial reproduction is encouraged. Subscription lists are kept confidential. GMHC Treatment Issues, The Tisch Building, 119 West 24th Street, New York, NY 10011 fredg@gmhc.org http://www.gmhc.org

AEGiS is made possible through unrestricted grants from Boehringer Ingelheim, Elton John AIDS Foundation, iMetrikus, Inc., John M. Lloyd Foundation, the National Library of Medicine, and donations from users like you. Always watch for outdated information. This article first appeared in 2003. This material is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between you and your doctor.

AEGiS presents published material, reprinted with permission and neither endorses nor opposes any material. All information contained on this website, including information relating to health conditions, products, and treatments, is for informational purposes only. It is often presented in summary or aggregate form. It is not meant to be a substitute for the advice provided by your own physician or other medical professionals. Always discuss treatment options with a doctor who specializes in treating HIV.

Copyright ©1980, 2003. AEGiS. All materials appearing on AEGiS are protected by copyright as a collective work or compilation under U.S. copyright and other laws and are the property of AEGiS, or the party credited as the provider of the content. .