Is It True What They Say about Interferon?

To the Editor: Two enthusiastic editorials on exogenous interferon therapy have appeared in the Journal within seven months.^1,2 This might easily give the impression that a breakthrough for interferon as a therapeutic agent is at hand. True, it has clearly been shown that interferon is effective in herpes zoster, provided that high-dose therapy is started early in the course of the disease.³ Equally true, topical application of interferon in herpes keratitis can be of clinical value if combined with debridement or minimal wiping.^4,5 However, in other fields, unequivocal evidence for the usefulness of interferon has not been provided yet. The.