If patient is doing well, why to change treatment at all ?

Data about current Interferon treatment of viral illness like SARS-Cov2 are rare, and most data about use of IFN originate quite time ago. Chinese did not report frequent number of patients treated with IFN in COVID19 according to published information in peer sources, except different press. On the other side we as hematologist know that even in best scenario IFN is not working well for large bulk of CML patients and in all our guidance is not recommended INF except in trials.
Moreover we have data about effects of imatinib in immune modulation, isn't it (ICMLF correspondence)?

Another information to patients (it is probably important to provide part of this correspondence to CML advocates as well) is that side effects of interferon are sometimes quite similar to CODIV19. Moreover interferon supplies in Europe are cut by stopping of its production by Roche in last year. In Eastern Europe we have not seen IFN for almost a year due to vendors.
Best for all of our patients is keep personal distance, home isolation and regular therapy with current TKI , not to have patients loosing their previous response.
For those who tackle Cov2 infection, we will work with infection medicine specialists to save their life.

I believe the potential benefit of interferon in this situation is, at best, hypothetical. We have no evidence of any clinical value in preventing or treating this infection. In this context I do not think there would be a good reason to change therapy, even less if treatment with imatinib is going well.

My opinion is to continue the therapy without introducing changes whose efficacy has not been proven, at least for the moment. On the opposite there are suggestions (not yet proven of course) that TKI therapy could be helpful to prevent and/or to be efficacious in the early phases of the Covid infection (see a trial based on this hypothesis approved by EMA just yesterday at the link www.clinicaltrialsregister.eu/ctr-search...al/2020-001236-10/NL So the only advice that in Italy we are giving to our CML patients is to continue the TKI therapy that they are assuming and to try to avoid interpersonal contacts, staying at home and being compliant to all the other restrictions imposed by the health authorities.

Yours, Beppe

It is an interesting question but in the light of our best understanding my point of view is to avoid to change treatment for the moment. We need to better understand because I am not sure that Interferon alpha would be efficient.

Best wishes
FX

One of my well-informed CML pts doing well on Imatinib has posed the following question.

They are aware of IFN’s antiviral properties and its activity against coronavirus, and of limited largely anecdotal data on reduced viral infection in CML(including the IRIS study).

Should they change from Glivec to IFN during the pandemic-might this reduce their risk of getting Covid infection?