[Study of the effectiveness of recombinant alpha2-interferon and its inducers in primates with orthopoxvirus infection].

The interferon-inducing and antiviral activities of high-molecular interferon inducers larifan and rifastin and of gene engineering human alpha 2-interferon were studied in monkeys infected with smallpox. These agents appreciably prolonged the life span of infected monkeys. For green monkeys the drug efficacies were as follows: larifan protected 50%, rifastin 86%, and realderon 50% (if used for treatment) and 80% (if used for urgent prophylaxis) of animals from death; for Papio hamadryas the efficacy of urgent prophylaxis was 60%. Interferon accumulated in the serum as early as during the first hours after injection of interferon inducers, the peak concentrations being observed after 3-6 h; for realderone the peak was observed after 9 h. The levels of interferon induction with larifan and rifastin were virtually the same.