MPNforum Magazine

An old friend springs to our defense against a new enemy.

Last week, without comment, I sent one of our MPN Interferon gurus a link to a Chinese story about Cuban use of Interferon Alpha 2B to treat COVID-19   Honestly, I had no opinion, no basis to judge one way or another whether or not this was a ray of hope. .

Could interferon, the old immunity-boosting, virus-busting friend of our MPN community, have any real role in stopping the global rampages of this predatory plague that has ground industry to a halt, confined us to quarters, and mows us down with sickness and death?

And then early this morning, Wednesday, April 1. on the BBC World Service News, an 18 minute segment on an inhalant version of Interferon Alpha 1B that had already passed the initial clinical trial test stages with good results.  The story includes an interview with the Synairgen CEO.

With so many rumors and false hopes flying around, I hesitate to present anything conclusive, so here’s the raw data…. The story, the podcast, the Google search… Dig in and see what you think..and share your thoughts.

(It might be a welcome relief from the endless Netflix binge sessions, naps, and trips to the fridge that help fill in this quarantined era.)

Go here for the BBC Story/Podcast

Here’s the original clip I sent to the good doctor, the Wizard of Weill-Cornell:

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Cuba’s Interferon Alpha 2B

And finally, first Google results on the the company, Synairgen and the clinical trials.