Combination therapy for chronic hepatitis B: simultaneous or sequential?

Am J Gastroenterol. 2007 Jan;102(1):105-6. doi: 10.1111/j.1572-0241.2006.00997.x.

Abstract

Various regimens of combination or sequential therapy using nucleoside/nucleotide analogues (NAs) and interferon-alfa (IFN-alpha) have been tried for the treatment of chronic hepatitis B. To date, combination therapy of two NAs and of IFN-alpha and NAs fails to achieve extra viral suppression. Sequential therapy with lamivudine followed by IFN-alpha seems to have better sustained virologic response. However, the long-term beneficial effect of using this approach remains to be defined.

Publication types

  • Editorial
  • Comment

MeSH terms

  • Antiviral Agents / therapeutic use*
  • DNA, Viral / analysis
  • DNA, Viral / drug effects*
  • Drug Resistance
  • Drug Therapy, Combination
  • Hepatitis B, Chronic / drug therapy*
  • Humans
  • Interferon alpha-2
  • Interferon-alpha / therapeutic use*
  • Lamivudine / therapeutic use*
  • Recombinant Proteins
  • Viral Load

Substances

  • Antiviral Agents
  • DNA, Viral
  • Interferon alpha-2
  • Interferon-alpha
  • Recombinant Proteins
  • Lamivudine