Experts Issue a Report Card on Side Effects from Antivirals


— Christine M. Kukka, Project Manager, HBV Advocate

Hong Kong researchers evaluated the side effects of commonly-used antivirals in the December 2013 issue of the Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology. Antivirals disrupt the genetic make-up of HBV, making it difficult for the virus to replicate. While generally safe, patients must take antiviral pills daily over several years and side effects include damage to the mitochondria of the body's cells (called mitochondria toxicity.)

According to the article, mitochondria toxicity can lead to muscle weakness (myopathy), numbness and tingling in fingers and toes (peripheral neuropathy), kidney damage and lactic acidosis—when unhealthy levels of lactate build up because it is not cleared by the weakened mitochondria.
However, not all antiviral side effects are bad, the authors noted. Recent research has found that the antiviral telbivudine appears to somehow enhance kidney health.

To date, researchers have not found any harmful side effects from antivirals when they are administered to pregnant women to reduce their high viral loads and lessen the risk of infecting their newborns.

Source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24372662 

HBV Journal Review: February 1, 2014, Vol 11, no 2  



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