Telbivudine in the treatment of chronic hepatitis B.

Abstract

Treatment of chronic hepatitis B with oral nucleos(t)ide analogs is evolving rapidly with newer compounds gaining approval. Recently, the US FDA and European Medicines Agency (EMEA) have approved telbivudine, a potent anti-hepatitis B virus (HBV)-specific agent with a hitherto excellent safety profile. This review focuses on the efficacy of this agent in chronic hepatitis B compared with lamivudine, evaluated clinically in Phase II and a large Phase III study. Monitoring of the virologic response under treatment with sensitive HBV-DNA assays has been applied, aiming at increasing efficacy and reducing HBV resistance. The results are critically presented and the evolving concept of effective long-term telbivudine and other nucleos(t)ide analog therapy, predicted by the extent of suppression of HBV replication at week 24, are analyzed and discussed.

• Authors: Stephanos J Hadziyannis, Dimitrios Vassilopoulos
• Journal: Expert review of gastroenterology & hepatology (Expert Rev Gastroenterol Hepatol) Vol. 2 Issue 1 Pg. 13-22 (Feb 2008) ISSN: 1747-4132 [Electronic] England
• PMID: 19072366 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Review)

Chemical References

• Nucleosides
• Pyrimidinones
• Telbivudine
• Thymidine

Topics

• Drug Resistance, Viral
• Hepatitis B, Chronic (drug therapy)
• Humans
• Nucleosides (chemistry, pharmacokinetics, therapeutic use)
• Pyrimidinones (chemistry, pharmacokinetics, therapeutic use)
• Telbivudine
• Thymidine (analogs & derivatives)