Generic Name and Formulations:
Interferon alfa-2b, recombinant; 10 million IU, 18 million IU, 25 million IU; per vial; for inj; contains m-cresol.
Company:
Merck & Co., Inc
Indications for INTRON A SOLN:
AIDS-related Kaposi's sarcoma.
Adult:
Use appropriate preparation and route: see literature. Use SC route if platelets <50,000/mm3. 30 million IU/m2 IM or SC three times weekly; continue until rapid disease progression or maximal response achieved after 16 weeks; reduce dose by ½ or suspend therapy if severe adverse reactions occur; discontinue if persists.
Children:
Not recommended.
See Also:
INTRON A
Contraindications:
Hepatitis: decompensated liver disease. Autoimmune disorders.
Warnings/Precautions:
May cause or exacerbate fatal or life-threatening neuropsychiatric, autoimmune, ischemic, or infectious disorders: monitor closely, discontinue if they worsen. Severe psychiatric disorders (esp. depression). Cardiovascular or pulmonary disease. Severe myelosuppression. Uncontrolled thyroid abnormalities. Diabetes. Coagulation disorders. Maintain adequate hydration. Monitor blood, thyroid, visual and liver function before and during therapy; EKG in cardiovascular disease and cancer patients. Psoriasis. Renal dysfunction. Transplant recipients. Elderly. Debilitated. Pregnancy (Cat.C). Nursing mothers: not recommended.
Interactions:
Caution with myelosuppressives, and drugs that can exacerbate depression. May potentiate theophylline (may double its levels).
Adverse Reactions:
Flu-like symptoms (fever, headache, myalgia, fatigue); hepatic, hematologic, respiratory, skin, genitourinary system, CNS, cardiovascular, endocrine (esp thyroid), GI, or visual disorders; colitis, hypertriglyceridemia, pancreatitis, infections, injection site reactions; others (see literature).
How Supplied:
Pwd (w. diluent): 10million, 18million, 50million IU/vial—1; Soln (vials): 10million IU/vial—6 (kit w. supplies); Soln (multidose vials): 18million, 25million IU/vial—1
Indications for INTRON A SOLN:
Hairy cell leukemia. Initial treatment of clinically aggressive follicular Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in conjunction with anthracycline-containing combination chemotherapy.
Adult:
Use SC route if platelets <50,000/mm3. Hairy cell leukemia: 2 million IU/m2 IM or SC 3 times a week for up to 6 months. Follicular lymphoma: 5 million IU SC 3 times a week for up to 18 months in conjunction with anthracycline-containing chemotherapy regimen and following completion of the chemotherapy regimen. See literature for appropriate preparation and route and for dose adjustments.
Children:
Not recommended.
See Also:
INTRON A
Contraindications:
Hepatitis: decompensated liver disease. Autoimmune disorders.
Warnings/Precautions:
May cause or exacerbate fatal or life-threatening neuropsychiatric, autoimmune, ischemic, or infectious disorders: monitor closely, discontinue if they worsen. Severe psychiatric disorders (esp. depression). Cardiovascular or pulmonary disease. Severe myelosuppression. Uncontrolled thyroid abnormalities. Diabetes. Coagulation disorders. Maintain adequate hydration. Monitor blood, thyroid, visual and liver function before and during therapy; EKG in cardiovascular disease and cancer patients. Psoriasis. Renal dysfunction. Transplant recipients. Elderly. Debilitated. Pregnancy (Cat.C). Nursing mothers: not recommended.
Interactions:
Caution with myelosuppressives, and drugs that can exacerbate depression. May potentiate theophylline (may double its levels).
Adverse Reactions:
Flu-like symptoms (fever, headache, myalgia, fatigue); hepatic, hematologic, respiratory, skin, genitourinary system, CNS, cardiovascular, endocrine (esp thyroid), GI, or visual disorders; colitis, hypertriglyceridemia, pancreatitis, infections, injection site reactions; others (see literature).
How Supplied:
Pwd (w. diluent): 10million, 18million, 50million IU/vial—1; Soln (vials): 10million IU/vial—6 (kit w. supplies); Soln (multidose vials): 18million, 25million IU/vial—1
Indications for INTRON A SOLN:
Malignant melanoma.
Adult:
Induction: 20million IU/m2 IV over 20 mins, 5 consecutive days per week, for 4 weeks. Maintenance: 10 million IU/m2 SC 3 times per week for 48 weeks. See literature for appropriate preparation and route and for dose adjustments.
Children:
Not recommended.
See Also:
INTRON A
Contraindications:
Hepatitis: decompensated liver disease. Autoimmune disorders.
Warnings/Precautions:
May cause or exacerbate fatal or life-threatening neuropsychiatric, autoimmune, ischemic, or infectious disorders: monitor closely, discontinue if they worsen. Severe psychiatric disorders (esp. depression). Cardiovascular or pulmonary disease. Severe myelosuppression. Uncontrolled thyroid abnormalities. Diabetes. Coagulation disorders. Maintain adequate hydration. Monitor blood, thyroid, visual and liver function before and during therapy; EKG in cardiovascular disease and cancer patients. Psoriasis. Renal dysfunction. Transplant recipients. Elderly. Debilitated. Pregnancy (Cat.C). Nursing mothers: not recommended.
Interactions:
Caution with myelosuppressives, and drugs that can exacerbate depression. May potentiate theophylline (may double its levels).
Adverse Reactions:
Flu-like symptoms (fever, headache, myalgia, fatigue); hepatic, hematologic, respiratory, skin, genitourinary system, CNS, cardiovascular, endocrine (esp thyroid), GI, or visual disorders; colitis, hypertriglyceridemia, pancreatitis, infections, injection site reactions; others (see literature).
How Supplied:
Pwd (w. diluent): 10million, 18million, 50million IU/vial—1; Soln (vials): 10million IU/vial—6 (kit w. supplies); Soln (multidose vials): 18million, 25million IU/vial—1
Indications for INTRON A SOLN:
Chronic hepatitis C. Chronic hepatitis B.
Adult:
Use appropriate preparation and route: see literature. Use SC route if platelets <50,000/mm3. Hepatitis C: 3 million IU IM or SC three times weekly for 16 weeks; if tolerated with normalization of ALT, continue to 18–24 months (72–96 weeks). Hepatitis B: 5 million IU daily or 10million IU IM or SC three times weekly for 16 weeks; reduce dose by ½ or interrupt dose if WBCs, granulocyte or platelet count decreases.
Children:
<1yr: not recommended. Use appropriate preparation and route: see literature. ≥1yr of age for chronic hepatitis B: 3million IU/m2 SC three times weekly for 1 week, then increase to 6million IU/m2 (max 10 million IU) three times weekly for a total of 16–24 weeks; reduce dose by ½ or interrupt dose if WBCs, granulocytes or platelet counts decrease.
See Also:
INTRON A
Contraindications:
Hepatitis: decompensated liver disease. Autoimmune disorders.
Warnings/Precautions:
May cause or exacerbate fatal or life-threatening neuropsychiatric, autoimmune, ischemic, or infectious disorders: monitor closely, discontinue if they worsen. Severe psychiatric disorders (esp. depression). Cardiovascular or pulmonary disease. Severe myelosuppression. Uncontrolled thyroid abnormalities. Diabetes. Coagulation disorders. Maintain adequate hydration. Monitor blood, thyroid, visual and liver function before and during therapy; EKG in cardiovascular disease and cancer patients. Psoriasis. Renal dysfunction. Transplant recipients. Elderly. Debilitated. Pregnancy (Cat.C). Nursing mothers: not recommended.
Interactions:
Caution with myelosuppressives, and drugs that can exacerbate depression. May potentiate theophylline (may double its levels).
Adverse Reactions:
Flu-like symptoms (fever, headache, myalgia, fatigue); hepatic, hematologic, respiratory, skin, genitourinary system, CNS, cardiovascular, endocrine (esp thyroid), GI, or visual disorders; colitis, hypertriglyceridemia, pancreatitis, infections, injection site reactions; others (see literature).
How Supplied:
Pwd (w. diluent): 10million, 18million, 50million IU/vial—1; Soln (vials): 10million IU/vial—6 (kit w. supplies); Soln (multidose vials): 18million, 25million IU/vial—1
Indications for INTRON A SOLN:
Genital warts.
Adult:
Use appropriate preparation and route: see literature. Use SC route if platelets <50,000/mm3. Inject intralesionally 1 million IU/lesion 3 times weekly on alternate days for 3 wks; treat up to 5 lesions at one time. May repeat treatment as above after 12–16 weeks.
Children:
Not recommended.
See Also:
INTRON A
Contraindications:
Hepatitis: decompensated liver disease. Autoimmune disorders.
Warnings/Precautions:
May cause or exacerbate fatal or life-threatening neuropsychiatric, autoimmune, ischemic, or infectious disorders: monitor closely, discontinue if they worsen. Severe psychiatric disorders (esp. depression). Cardiovascular or pulmonary disease. Severe myelosuppression. Uncontrolled thyroid abnormalities. Diabetes. Coagulation disorders. Maintain adequate hydration. Monitor blood, thyroid, visual and liver function before and during therapy; EKG in cardiovascular disease and cancer patients. Psoriasis. Renal dysfunction. Transplant recipients. Elderly. Debilitated. Pregnancy (Cat.C). Nursing mothers: not recommended.
Interactions:
Caution with myelosuppressives, and drugs that can exacerbate depression. May potentiate theophylline (may double its levels).
Adverse Reactions:
Flu-like symptoms (fever, headache, myalgia, fatigue); hepatic, hematologic, respiratory, skin, genitourinary system, CNS, cardiovascular, endocrine (esp thyroid), GI, or visual disorders; colitis, hypertriglyceridemia, pancreatitis, infections, injection site reactions; others (see literature).
How Supplied:
Pwd (w. diluent): 10million, 18million, 50million IU/vial—1; Soln (vials): 10million IU/vial—6 (kit w. supplies); Soln (multidose vials): 18million, 25million IU/vial—1
