Recombinant feline interferon omega
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| Trade names | Virbagen Omega, Intercat, Virbac |
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| Interferon alpha "omega-like" | |||||||
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| Symbol | ? | ||||||
UniProt | P35849 | ||||||
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Recombinant feline interferon omega (RFeIFN-ω), sold under the brand name Virbagen Omega among others, is a
Side effects include hyperthermia and decrease in white blood cell count. These effects tend to be mild and transient. It is a immunostimulant in the interferon family.[3]
The feline interferon "omega" gene was first cloned in 1992.[4] It was first produced in silkworms by Ueda and coworkers in 1993. The protein is around 60% identical to human alpha interferons, but the Ueda team deemed it an "omega-type" interferon due to some motifs.[5] Phylogenic analysis in 2007 puts it as an alpha-type interferon.[1]
Research
As the approved regimen is very costly, RFeIFN-ω has been experimentally used via other routes, including topical and oral protocols.[2] RFeIFN-ω has also been used off-label to treat other viral infections. It has also been tried on cancer cell cultures.[2]
RFeIFN-ω, delivered topically, is ineffective against feline upper respiratory tract disease caused by feline calicivirus.[6]
