Albinterferon
Encyclopedia
Albinterferon is a recombinant fusion protein drug
consisting of interferon alpha (IFN-α) linked to human albumin
. Conjugation to human albumin prolongs the half-life of the IFN-α to about 6 days, allowing to dose it every two to four weeks.
The drug was under investigation as an alternative to pegylated
IFN-α-2a for the treatment of hepatitis C
. In response to an FDA ruling, Novartis
and Human Genome Sciences
announced on October 5, 2010 that they will cease development of the drug.
A French expert in hepatitis treatment, Dr. Yves Benhamou, member of the steering committee for a clinical trial of the drug was detained on criminal fraud charges by the F.B.I. agents on 11-01-2010 as he attended a conference in Boston because he allegedly tipped off a hedge fund manager about setbacks in the clinical trials (two participants in the trial had developed lung disease and one of them died); he had a consulting relationship with a manager of the hedge fund. The manager sold his entire stake in Human Genome Sciences before it announced the setbacks in Jan. 2008 and avoided $30 million in losses.
Drug
A drug, broadly speaking, is any substance that, when absorbed into the body of a living organism, alters normal bodily function. There is no single, precise definition, as there are different meanings in drug control law, government regulations, medicine, and colloquial usage.In pharmacology, a...
consisting of interferon alpha (IFN-α) linked to human albumin
Albumin
Albumin refers generally to any protein that is water soluble, which is moderately soluble in concentrated salt solutions, and experiences heat denaturation. They are commonly found in blood plasma, and are unique to other blood proteins in that they are not glycosylated...
. Conjugation to human albumin prolongs the half-life of the IFN-α to about 6 days, allowing to dose it every two to four weeks.
The drug was under investigation as an alternative to pegylated
PEGylation
PEGylation is the process of covalent attachment of polyethylene glycol polymer chains to another molecule, normally a drug or therapeutic protein. PEGylation is routinely achieved by incubation of a reactive derivative of PEG with the target macromolecule...
IFN-α-2a for the treatment of hepatitis C
Hepatitis C
Hepatitis C is an infectious disease primarily affecting the liver, caused by the hepatitis C virus . The infection is often asymptomatic, but chronic infection can lead to scarring of the liver and ultimately to cirrhosis, which is generally apparent after many years...
. In response to an FDA ruling, Novartis
Novartis
Novartis International AG is a multinational pharmaceutical company based in Basel, Switzerland, ranking number three in sales among the world-wide industry...
and Human Genome Sciences
Human Genome Sciences
Human Genome Sciences is a biopharmaceutical corporation founded in 1992. It uses the human DNA sequence to develop protein and antibody drugs. As of 2008, it has drugs under development to treat such diseases as hepatitis C, systemic lupus erythmatosis, anthrax disease, cancer, rheumatoid...
announced on October 5, 2010 that they will cease development of the drug.
A French expert in hepatitis treatment, Dr. Yves Benhamou, member of the steering committee for a clinical trial of the drug was detained on criminal fraud charges by the F.B.I. agents on 11-01-2010 as he attended a conference in Boston because he allegedly tipped off a hedge fund manager about setbacks in the clinical trials (two participants in the trial had developed lung disease and one of them died); he had a consulting relationship with a manager of the hedge fund. The manager sold his entire stake in Human Genome Sciences before it announced the setbacks in Jan. 2008 and avoided $30 million in losses.