ArticleClinical infectious diseases : an official publication of the Infectious Diseases Society of America2026
Interferon-α Nasal Spray Prophylaxis Reduces COVID-19 in Cancer Patients: A Randomized, Double-Blinded, Placebo-Controlled Trial.
Article in Clinical infectious diseases : an official publication of the Infectious Diseases Society of America, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT04534725 (COVID-19 Prevention and Treatment in Cancer; a Sequential Multiple Assignment Randomised Trial; C-SMART Study.), which is not on this map. Cited by 2 papers.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
COVID-19 Prevention and Treatment in Cancer; a Sequential Multiple Assignment Randomised Trial; C-SMART Study.
Who cites it
2 citing papers in PubMed.
- Review
- Spike 1 protein of SARS-CoV-2 induces endothelial inflammation and vascular dysfunction through interferon ISG15-dependent mechanisms.Cardiovascular research · 2026Article
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Authors and funding
21 authors.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundWe evaluated whether a daily nasal spray of interferon-alpha (IFN-α) would reduce the incidence of COVID-19 or community-acquired respiratory viral infections in adult cancer patients.
methodsIn this multicenter, randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial, participants were randomized 1:1 to receive daily 40 000 IU IFN-α nasal spray or normal saline placebo. Participants who developed influenza-like symptoms self-collected nasal swabs for PCR testing of SARS-CoV-2, influenza A/B, respiratory syncytial virus, parainfluenza, adenovirus, seasonal coronavirus, picornavirus, human metapneumovirus, and/or SARS-CoV-2 rapid antigen testing. Co-primary endpoints were incidence of COVID-19 and/or other respiratory viruses ≤90 days of randomization.
resultsFour hundred and thirty-three participants were randomized to IFN-α (n = 217) or placebo (n = 216). The incidence of COVID-19 was lower in the IFN-α group versus placebo (8.3% vs 14.4%), indicating a 40% reduced risk of infection (relative risk [RR]: .60; 95% credible interval [CrI]: .33-.97). Other respiratory viral infection incidence was 5.1% and 5.1% in both groups (RR: 1.12; .43-2.34). In the per-protocol cohort (n = 389), the incidence of COVID-19 in IFN-α and placebo groups was 7.7% and 16.0% (RR: .50; .26-.84) with other respiratory virus incidence of 4.6% and 5.7%, respectively. Subgroup analysis demonstrated lower COVID-19 in the IFN-α group for ages <65 years (RR: .48; .20-.92), female sex (RR: .44; .19-.85), and COVID-19 vaccinated (RR: .50; .26-.82), but no difference by underlying malignancy. No differences were observed in secondary endpoints of severity, hospitalization, and mortality. IFN-α was well tolerated and safe.
conclusionsIFN-α nasal spray prophylaxis reduced the incidence of COVID-19 among adult cancer patients. CLINICAL TRIALS REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT04534725 (ANZCTR: ACTRN12620000843954).
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