A review of telbivudine for the management of chronic hepatitis B virus infection.

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

Chronic hepatitis B is a worldwide health problem. Research interests have focused on the development of potent and safe antiviral agents with low resistance rates. Telbivudine is a nucleoside analogue that has been approved for treatment of chronic hepatitis B.

OBJECTIVE:

This review article concentrates on the pharmacokinetics and therapeutic efficacy of telbivudine. The resistance and safety profiles are also addressed.

METHODS:

Relevant publications were identified from searches of MEDLINE (1996-June 2007), the Cochrane Library and BIOSIS (1993-June 2007). Search items included, but were not limited to, telbivudine, pharmacokinetics, hepatitis B, resistance and adverse events.

CONCLUSIONS:

Clinical trials demonstrated telbivudine to be a safe and potent antiviral agent for treatment of chronic hepatitis B. Telbivudine has superior efficacy compared to lamivudine and adefovir.

• Authors: Yanni Y N Lui, Henry L Y Chan
• Journal: Expert opinion on drug metabolism & toxicology (Expert Opin Drug Metab Toxicol) Vol. 4 Issue 10 Pg. 1351-61 (Oct 2008) ISSN: 1742-5255 [Print] England
• PMID: 18798704 (Publication Type: Comparative Study, Journal Article, Review)

Chemical References

• Antiviral Agents
• Nucleosides
• Organophosphonates
• Pyrimidinones
• Telbivudine
• Lamivudine
• adefovir
• Adenine
• Thymidine

Topics

• Adenine (analogs & derivatives, therapeutic use)
• Antiviral Agents (adverse effects, pharmacokinetics, therapeutic use)
• Clinical Trials as Topic
• Drug Evaluation, Preclinical
• Drug Resistance, Viral
• Hepatitis B, Chronic (drug therapy)
• Humans
• Lamivudine (therapeutic use)
• Nucleosides (adverse effects, pharmacokinetics, therapeutic use)
• Organophosphonates (therapeutic use)
• Pyrimidinones (adverse effects, pharmacokinetics, therapeutic use)
• Telbivudine
• Thymidine (analogs & derivatives)