STUDY OF THE EFFICACY OF RECOMBINANT ALPHA(2)-INTERFERON AND ITS INDUCERS IN PRIMATES WITH ORTHOPOXVIRUS INFECTION

The interferon-inducing and antiviral activities of high-molecular int erferon inducers larifan and rifastin and of gene engineering human al pha(2)-interferon were studied in monkeys infected with smallpox. Thes e agents appreciably prolonged the life span of infected monkeys. For green monkeys the drug efficacies were as follows: larifan protected 5 0%, rifastin 86%, and realderone 50% (if used for treatment) and 80% ( if used for urgent prophylaxis) of animals from death; for Papio hamad ryas the efficacy of urgent prophylaxis was 60%. Interferon accumulate d in the serum as early as during the first hours after injection of i nterferon inducers, the peak concentrations being observed after 3-6 h ; for realderone the peak was observed after 9 h. The levels of interf eron induction with larifan and rifastin were virtually the same.