Health Centres - Intron A
How does it work?
Intron A injection contains the active ingredient interferon alfa-2b, which is a type of medicine called an immunomodulator.
Interferons are a family of small protein molecules that are produced naturally by cells in response to viral infections or various synthetic and biological inducers. Three major classes of interferons have been identified: alfa, beta and gamma. They work in a complicated way that is not fully understood, but are thought to boost the immune system, causing it to attack infected or abnormal cells.
Interferons can be used to treat a range of diseases. Interferon alfa can be used in the treatment of various cancers, such as leukaemias, lymphomas and other types of cancers (eg skin, bone marrow). It works by preventing abnormal or malignant cells from increasing in numbers.
Interferon alfa can also be used to treat chronic hepatitis B and C, which are caused by the hepatitis B and C viruses. It works by helping to prevent these viruses from multiplying in the liver cells.
What is it used for?
- Chronic hepatitis B
- Chronic hepatitis C (preferably in combination with ribavirin)
- Hairy cell leukaemia
- Cancer of the blood, characterised by an increased number of blood cells called granulocytes in the blood (chronic myeloid leukaemia or CML)
- Cancer of the bone marrow (multiple myeloma)
- Cancer of the lymph nodes (follicular lymphoma)
- A type of tumour mostly found in the intestine or appendix, which secretes excessive amounts of the hormone serotonin (carcinoid tumour) that has spread to the liver or lymph nodes
-
Skin cancer
Warning!
- You should make sure you drink plenty of fluid while receiving treatment with this medicine. If you are in hospital this may be administered via a drip.
- This medicine can cause flu-like symptoms such as aches and pains, fever, chills, sweating, headache, fatigue and nausea. These tend to be worse at the start of treatment and improve with continued treatment. You may want to take a medicine to reduce these symptoms, for example, paracetamol, aspirin or ibuprofen, before the injection and for 24 hours after the injection. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for advice.
- This medicine has been associated with psychiatric side effects, particularly depression, that can occur at any time during treatment and even after treatment has finished. You should discuss this with your doctor before starting treatment. It is important to talk to your doctor immediately if you or a child being treated have any distressing thoughts or feelings, thoughts about suicide or self-harm, mood changes, confusion, agressive behaviour or any other unusual change in behaviour while having treatment with this medicine. It may be necessary to stop treatment.
- This medicine has rarely been associated with side effects on the eyes. You should have an eye examination before starting treatment. Tell your doctor if you experience any disturbances in your vision during treatment.
- This medicine may rarely decrease the number of blood cells in your blood. Tell your doctor immediately if you experience any of the following symptoms during your treatment, as they may indicate problems with your blood cells: unexplained bruising or bleeding, purple spots, sore mouth or throat, mouth ulcers, high temperature (fever) or other signs of infection, or suddenly feeling tired, breathless, or generally unwell.
- Lung inflammation and pneumonia occur rarely in people treated with this medicine. For this reason it is important to tell your doctor if you get a fever, cough or shortness of breath during treatment. Your doctor will need to take a chest X-ray to make sure there are no problems with your lungs.
- During treatment with this medicine you will need to have regular blood tests. This is to monitor things such as your liver function, thyroid function and the levels of blood cells and lipids in your blood.
- Your ability to become pregnant or father a child may be affected by treatment with this medicine. It is important to discuss fertility with your doctor before starting treatment.
Use with caution in
- Children
- History of depression or other psychiatric disorders
- History of lung disease such as COPD
-
Diabetes
-
High blood pressure
- Severely decreased blood cell production by the bone marrow, causing lower than normal levels of blood cells in the blood
- Blood clotting disorders
-
Overactive or underactive thyroid gland
- History of heart failure, heart attack or irregular heartbeats (arrhythmias)
-
Psoriasis
- Sarcoidosis
- Decreased kidney function
- Decreased liver function
Not to be used in
- Severe heart disease, such as uncontrolled heart failure, recent heart attack or severe irregular heartbeats (arrhythmias)
- Severely decreased kidney function
- Severely decreased liver function
-
Epilepsy
- People with chronic hepatitis who have liver cirrhosis, or who are being or have recently been treated with immunosuppressive medicines
- History of disease caused by the immune system attacking the body's own tissues (autoimmune disease, eg autoimmune hepatitis)
- People who have received an organ transplant and have an underactive immune system, eg due to treatment with immunosuppressive medicines
- Uncontrolled thyroid disease
- Children with a history of severe psychiatric illness, particularly depression or thoughts of suicide
This medicine should not be used if you are allergic to one or any of its ingredients. Please inform your doctor or pharmacist if you have previously experienced such an allergy.
Pregnancy and Breastfeeding
Certain medicines should not be used during pregnancy or breastfeeding. However, other medicines may be safely used in pregnancy or breastfeeding providing the benefits to the mother outweigh the risks to the unborn baby. Always inform your doctor if you are pregnant or planning a pregnancy, before using any medicine.
- The safety of this medicine during pregnancy has not been established. It should only be used during pregnancy if the expected benefit to the mother is greater than any possible risk to the foetus. Women who could get pregnant should use effective methods of contraception to prevent pregnancy while having treatment with this medicine. Seek medical advice from your doctor.
- It is not known if this medicine passes into breast milk. The manufacturer states that it should not be used during breastfeeding. Alternatively, breastfeeding can be stopped during treatment. This decision will depend on the importance of the medicine to the mother. Seek medical advice from your doctor.
Side effects
Medicines and their possible side effects can affect individual people in different ways. The following are some of the side effects that are known to be associated with this medicine. Because a side effect is stated here, it does not mean that all people using this medicine will experience that or any side effect.
- Cold or flu-like symptoms
- Loss of appetite
- Fatigue
- Weakness
- Headache
- Local pain and swelling at the site of injection
- Depression
- Irritability
- Difficulty in sleeping (insomnia)
- Anxiety
- Disturbances of the gut such as diarrhoea, constipation, nausea, vomiting or abdominal pain
- Hair loss (alopecia)
- Skin reactions such as rash and itch
- Pain in the muscles or joints
- Dizziness
- Menstrual disturbances
- Disturbances in the components of the blood
- Visual disturbances
- Pins and needles sensations
- Numbness
- Heart problems such as irregular heart beats and fluid retention
- Liver, kidney or lung disorders
The side effects listed above may not include all of the side effects reported by the drug's manufacturer.
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