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New therapies for chronic hepatitis B
Author(s) -
Hoofnagle J. H.,
Lau D.
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
journal of viral hepatitis
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.329
H-Index - 100
eISSN - 1365-2893
pISSN - 1352-0504
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2893.1997.tb00159.x
Subject(s) - famciclovir , lamivudine , medicine , nucleoside analogue , hepatitis b , virology , hepatitis b virus , immunology , virus , nucleoside , biology , biochemistry
Summary. Currently, the only therapy of proven benefit in chronic hepatitis B is interferon‐alpha which leads to a long‐term benefit in only one‐third of patients. New therapies for hepatitis B fall into three categories; antiviral chemotherapy, immunomodulation with cell‐based therapies, vaccines or cytokines, and gene therapy such as with antisense oligonucleotides, ribozymes or viral mutants. The most promising immediate approach to therapy is with the new nucleoside antivirals ‐ lamivudine and famciclovir. These drugs are well absorbed orally, result in profound inhibition of circulating hepatitis B virus, and, in some cases, loss of hepatitis B e antigen and improvement in serum aminotransferases. Controlled trials of long‐term famciclovir and lamivudine therapy currently underway aim to show whether these drugs are safe and can provide sustained inhibition of viral replication and attentant improvement in liver disease.