Laboratory studies showed that gamma-interferon and a recombinant hybrid protein of TNF-alpha-thymosin-alpha-1 had antiviral activity against herpes simplex virus 2 and cytomegalovirus in human cell cultures. The drugs were more effective when used preventively than as treatment, and the two agents showed synergistic effects when combined, with the strongest protection seen when gamma-interferon was applied 24 hours before infection.
Barinskiĭ, I F; Alimbarova, L M; Platonova, A A; Shmelev, V A