INTRON A 6000000 UNIT — DIN 02238674
INTERFERON ALFA-2B : 6000000 UNIT · MERCK CANADA INC · SOLUTION · wholesale supply in Canada
Health Canada status: CANCELLED POST MARKET
What is INTRON A?
INTRON A 6000000 UNIT contains INTERFERON ALFA-2B : 6000000 UNIT. It is listed in the Health Canada Drug Product Database under DIN 02238674, held by MERCK CANADA INC, supplied as SOLUTION for INTRAMUSCULAR ; INTRAVENOUS ; SUBCUTANEOUS administration. Health Canada currently lists it as cancelled post market, status dated 31-Aug-2021. This Drug Identification Number is no longer authorized for sale in Canada, so Nexara does not supply it. The record is kept here because buyers still meet the number on old formularies, purchase orders and tender documents; Nexara can help identify an authorized alternative.
What is INTRON A used for?
INTRON A is indicated for the treatment of chronic hepatitis C in patients 18 years or older with compensated liver disease who have a history of blood or blood product exposure and/or are Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) antibody positive. It is also indicated for the treatment of chronic active hepatitis B in patients 18 years of age or older with compensated liver disease and who have evidence of viral replication. Additionally, it is indicated for the treatment of patients with chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML), as maintenance therapy for multiple myeloma patients who achieved objective remission on induction therapy, as adjuvant treatment of high tumor burden follicular lymphoma (Stage 3 or 4) in combination with appropriate chemotherapy, as adjuvant to surgical treatment in patients 18 years of age or older with malignant melanoma free of disease but at high risk for systemic recurrence, for the treatment of select patients with AIDS-Related Kaposi's Sarcoma, for the treatment of patients with hairy cell leukemia either following or replacing splenectomy, and as an alternative treatment for patients with primary superficial and noduloulcerative basal cell carcinoma where surgery or radiation are inappropriate. Lastly, it is indicated for intralesional treatment of selected patients with condylomata acuminata involving external surfaces of the genital and perianal areas.
Authorized indication as written in the Health Canada product monograph. For healthcare professionals and licensed purchasers; this is not medical advice.
Is there a generic Interferon Alfa-2b in Canada, and who makes it?
Every market authorization holder with a Canadian DIN for this molecule, and how many of their listings Health Canada currently shows as marketed.
3 holders have a Canadian DIN containing Interferon Alfa-2b, across 13 DINs, of which 0 are currently marketed. Marketed count is the number that matters: an approval that is not marketed cannot be bought.
| Market authorization holder | DINs | Marketed | Brand names | Position |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MERCK CANADA INC | 7 | 0 | INTRON A | No marketed DIN |
| AVONDALE (BRINNY) CHEMICAL COMPANY | 3 | 0 | INTRON A INJ 10000000UNIT/VIAL, INTRON A INJ 3000000UNIT/VIAL, INTRON A INJ 5000000UNIT/VIAL | No marketed DIN |
| SCHERING-PLOUGH (BRINNY) CO. | 3 | 0 | INTRON A - KIT (PWS+DILUENT) 3000000IU/VIAL, INTRON A - KIT (PWS+DILUENT) 5000000IU/VIAL, INTRON A - LIQ 5000000IU/ML | No marketed DIN |
Health Canada’s Drug Product Database does not flag which listing is the originator and which are subsequent-entry products, so Nexara does not label them here. Interchangeability is determined provincially, not federally — confirm for your province before a formulary switch. Nexara can confirm which of these is actually obtainable, and on what lead time, per order.
How is it supplied and stored?
Pack configuration, storage class and the handling constraints that drive cold-chain planning. One DIN can cover more than one pack size, and the pack — not the DIN — is what gets priced, shipped and invoiced.
| Strength on the label | 6000000 UNIT |
|---|---|
| Dosage form | SOLUTION |
| Route | INTRAMUSCULAR ; INTRAVENOUS ; SUBCUTANEOUS |
| Pack configuration (monograph) | Lyophilized Powder with Diluent: 10 million IU interferon alfa-2b/vial; Ready-to-Use Solution (Albumin (human) free): 10 million IU interferon alfa-2b/vial (10 million IU/mL), 18 million IU interferon alfa-2b/vial (6 million IU/mL), 25 million IU interferon alfa-2b/vial (10 million IU/mL) |
| Storage | null |
Pack detail is kept as a regulatory record. This DIN is no longer authorized for sale in Canada, so Nexara does not quote this pack.
Substance and classification
| Active substance | Interferon Alfa-2b |
|---|---|
| ATC code | L03AB05 |
| AHFS class | 10:00.00 ; 08:18.20 |
| Biosimilar biologic | No |
Health Canada record and identifiers
The regulatory facts straight from the Drug Product Database, plus every identifier form Nexara accepts on a purchase order. A DIN written without its leading zeros is the commonest reason an order line fails to match.
| DIN (8-digit, as used in ordering) | 02238674 |
|---|---|
| DIN (unpadded, as printed on some documents) | 2238674 |
| Brand name | INTRON A |
| Generic / active ingredient | INTERFERON ALFA-2B : 6000000 UNIT |
| Market authorization holder | MERCK CANADA INC |
| Health Canada schedule | Schedule D |
| ATC code | L03AB05 |
| ATC anatomical main group | L — Antineoplastic and immunomodulating agents |
| ATC therapeutic subgroup | L03AB |
| Current status | CANCELLED POST MARKET |
| Status date | 31-Aug-2021 |
| Original market date | 1998-12-10 00:00:00 |
| Status source | Live Health Canada DPD sync |
Verify on the primary sources
What can be used instead?
Alternatives on every axis a buyer actually considers — the same molecule in another presentation, the same class, an adjacent class, or a fixed-dose combination. Every row is led by the marketed DIN count, because that is what can be bought this week.
1 · Same molecule, other Canadian presentations
0 of 13 Canadian DINs for this molecule are currently marketed. Marketed products are listed first.
| Product | Strength | Form | Holder | Health Canada status | DIN |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| INTRON A | 10000000 UNIT | SOLUTION | MERCK CANADA INC | CANCELLED POST MARKET | 02238675 |
| INTRON A | 50000000 UNIT | LIQUID | MERCK CANADA INC | CANCELLED POST MARKET | 02240695 |
| INTRON A | 25000000 UNIT | LIQUID | MERCK CANADA INC | CANCELLED POST MARKET | 02240694 |
| INTRON A | 15000000 UNIT | LIQUID | MERCK CANADA INC | CANCELLED POST MARKET | 02240693 |
| INTRON A | 1 ML | KIT ; LIQUID ; POWDER FOR SOLUTION | MERCK CANADA INC | CANCELLED POST MARKET | 02231651 |
| INTRON A | 1 ML | POWDER FOR SOLUTION ; LIQUID | MERCK CANADA INC | CANCELLED POST MARKET | 02223406 |
| INTRON A - KIT (PWS+DILUENT) 3000000IU/VIAL | 3000000 UNIT | POWDER FOR SOLUTION ; LIQUID | SCHERING-PLOUGH (BRINNY) CO. | CANCELLED POST MARKET | 02223384 |
| INTRON A - KIT (PWS+DILUENT) 5000000IU/VIAL | 1 ML | POWDER FOR SOLUTION ; LIQUID | SCHERING-PLOUGH (BRINNY) CO. | CANCELLED POST MARKET | 02223392 |
| INTRON A - LIQ 5000000IU/ML | 5000000 UNIT | LIQUID | SCHERING-PLOUGH (BRINNY) CO. | CANCELLED POST MARKET | 02223414 |
| INTRON A INJ 10000000UNIT/VIAL | 10000000 UNIT | LIQUID | AVONDALE (BRINNY) CHEMICAL COMPANY | CANCELLED POST MARKET | 00705926 |
2 · Same class — other molecules in ATC L03AB
| Molecule | Canadian brands | DINs | Marketed | Sourceable |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Interferon Beta-1a | AVONEX · REBIF | 11 | 5 | Yes |
| Peginterferon Beta-1a | PLEGRIDY | 4 | 2 | Yes |
| Interferon Beta-1b | BETASERON · EXTAVIA | 2 | 1 | Yes |
| Peginterferon Alfa-2a | PEGASYS | 2 | 1 | Yes |
| Peginterferon Alfa-2b, Combinations | PEGETRON · REBETRON READY TO USE SOLUTION (ALBUMIN(HUMAN)FREE) (6000000 IU/ML AND 200MG CAPSULES) · REBETRON SOLUTION (ALBUMIN (HUMAN) FREE) (18 MIU MULTI-DOSE PEN / 200MG CAPSULES) · VICTRELIS TRIPLE | 15 | 0 | Not in Canada |
| Interferon Alfa-2b | INTRON A · INTRON A - KIT (PWS+DILUENT) 3000000IU/VIAL · INTRON A - KIT (PWS+DILUENT) 5000000IU/VIAL · INTRON A - LIQ 5000000IU/ML · +3 more | 13 | 0 | Not in Canada |
| Interferon Alfa-2a | ROFERON A SOLN INJ 6 MILLION · ROFERON A STERILE PWS 18M UNIT/VIAL · ROFERON A STERILE PWS 3M UNIT/VIAL · ROFERON A STERILE PWS 9M UNIT/VIAL · +8 more | 12 | 0 | Not in Canada |
| Peginterferon Alfa-2b | UNITRON PEG | 4 | 0 | Not in Canada |
| Peginterferon Alfa-2a, Combinations | PEGASYS RBV | 2 | 0 | Not in Canada |
| Interferon Alfa-N1 | WELLFERON INJ 10 000 000UNIT/ML · WELLFERON INJ 3000000UNIT/ML | 2 | 0 | Not in Canada |
A molecule with zero marketed DINs cannot be sourced domestically, however many approvals it holds — if one of these sits on a formulary or in an older protocol, that is the line to check.
3 · Adjacent classes in ATC L03A
| ATC subgroup | Molecules | DINs | Marketed |
|---|---|---|---|
| L03AA | Ancestim · Filgrastim · Pegfilgrastim | 24 | 21 |
| L03AX | Bcg Vaccine · Glatiramer Acetate · Melanoma Vaccine · Plerixafor | 18 | 8 |
Not clinical advice. These tables describe what can be supplied in Canada, not what should be prescribed. Substitution within or across classes is a prescriber and pharmacist decision, and interchangeability is determined provincially.
Can this still be bought in Canada?
No. This Drug Identification Number is cancelled post market in Health Canada's Drug Product Database, so the product is no longer authorized for sale in Canada and Nexara does not supply it. This page is kept as a regulatory record.
If you are looking for a current equivalent, the alternatives above list every product sharing this therapeutic class, with the marketed ones first. Ask us to source an alternative
Ordering questions
Who can buy this from Nexara?
Licensed entities only. Nexara holds Health Canada establishment licence DEL 3-002896-A and ships only to a licensed address. Patients and unlicensed buyers are routed to a partner pharmacy.
Is there a minimum order?
Yes, set per product line and per pack multiple rather than on the order total, so you are never asked to buy a part-pack. The minimum for this line is confirmed with your quote.
What is the lead time?
Confirmed per order at quotation, and it depends on current stock position and whether the product is in shortage.
Why is there no price on this page?
Nexara quotes a delivered Canadian price per order, against a verified licence. Foreign list prices are published on incompatible bases and are not a guide to what any buyer can obtain here, so this page shows which markets list the molecule and on what basis, and nothing more.
Can Nexara supply this for a clinical trial?
Yes — comparator and background-therapy supply, including sourcing from other markets where a Canadian pack will not satisfy the protocol. Clinical trial supply.