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  • Low-dose oral interferon α possibly retards the progression of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and alleviates associated cough in some patients

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Low-dose oral interferon α possibly retards the progression of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and alleviates associated cough in some patients
  1. Lorenz O Lutherer1,
  2. Kenneth M Nugent1,
  3. Byron W Schoettle1,
  4. Martin J Cummins2,
  5. Rishi Raj1,
  6. Surinder S Birring3,
  7. Cynthia A Jumper1
  1. 1Departments of Internal Medicine and Physiology, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, Texas, USA
  2. 2Amarillo Biosciences, Amarillo, Texas, USA
  3. 3Department of Respiratory Medicine, King's College Hospital, Denmark Hill, London, UK
  1. Correspondence to Rishi Raj, Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, 3601 4th Street, Stop 9410, Lubbock, TX 79430-9410, USA; rishi.raj{at}ttuhsc.edu

https://doi.org/10.1136/thx.2010.135947

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    Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) has no effective treatment and a relatively short life expectancy after diagnosis. Interferon α (IFNα) inhibits the growth of proliferating fibroblasts.1 IFNα also inhibits the production of collagen by fibroblasts independently of its effect on fibroblast replication.2 Biological activity of low-dose IFNα by oromucosal administration has been reported in several species including man,3 despite the expected rapid inactivation by digestive enzymes.4

    We therefore tested the effect of oral administration of very low doses of IFNα on the progression of IPF. Twelve of 20 patients with IPF aged 50–82 years (mean 67) completed treatment for at least 12 months with IFNα administered by lozenge (150 IU) taken three times each day. IPF was diagnosed according to the diagnostic criteria set forth by the American Thoracic Society. Three subjects had …

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    Footnotes

    • Patient Registration Site, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX, USA. Patient Registration Number: 00190.

    • Funding This study was supported by a grant to the first author from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (010674-0063-2001). The study drug was provided free of charge by Amarillo Biosciences.

    • Competing interests LOL, KMN, BWS, RR, SSB and CAJ have no conflict of interest. MJC is Vice President, Clinical & Regulatory Affairs for Amarillo Biosciences (ABI). ABI provided the interferon α lozenges tested in this study at no charge and consulted on regulatory and statistical issues.

    • Ethics approval This study was conducted with the approval of the Institutional Review Board of the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center Lubbock Campus.

    • Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; externally peer reviewed.