THE TRANSMUCOSAL ABSORPTION OF RECOMBINANT HUMAN INTERFERON-ALPHA B DHYBRID IN THE RAT AND RABBIT/

For therapeutic proteins such as interferon-alpha B/D, a non-parentera l route of delivery is desirable. Possible sites of administration inc lude the various regions of the gastrointestinal tract and airways, an d this paper reports the bioavailability of interferon-alpha B/D via t hese routes in the rat and rabbit. Apart from the stomach, detectable levels of interferon-a B/D in the serum were achieved via all routes. Bioavailabilities were less than 1%, except from the lung(6.8% in the rat) and nasal cavity (2.9% in the rabbit). Absorption from the gastro intestinal tract was similar for both species, but in the nasal cavity of the rabbit was sixfold that of the rat, and in the lung of the rat was tenfold that in the rabbit. Absorption from all routes, except th e buccal cavity, resulted in detectable biochemical changes in the liv er of the rabbit. Comparison with reports from other groups show diffe rences in the extent of absorption of interferon-alpha B/D and of natu ral or homologous recombinant interferon-alpha. The non-parenteral del ivery of biochemically active amounts of interferon-alpha B/D is thus demonstrated.