Treatment
with a combination of tenofovir and pegylated interferon yielded higher
rates of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) loss than when either drug
was used singly. Further, with longer therapy duration improved
results. Jörg Petersen, MD, PhD, Director of the Liver Institute at IFI
Institute for Interdisciplinary Medicine, University of Hamburg,
presented findings from an international multicenter study of chronic
hepatitis B (CHB) patients during The Liver Meeting 2014 in Boston, MA.
Speaking on November 10 to an overflow plenary session, Petersen noted
that loss of HBsAg is associated with better outcomes and is considered
the gold standard for successful CHB treatment. However, treatment
either with nucleoside/nucleotide analogs (NAs) or pegylated interferon
(PEG) yields low HBsAg loss rates, and previous studies of NA+PEG
regimens have not been sufficiently powered to examine the HBsAg loss
question.
Overall, Petersen noted, though HBsAg loss rates remained low, the study helped clarify that the well-tolerated combination of TDF + PEG for a full 48 weeks resulted in significantly higher rates of HBsAg loss than either monotherapy for this patient population. 16 weeks of TDF + PEG produced a lower HBsAg loss rate than the longer course of the combination, so both duration of treatment and combination treatment play into the increased rate of HBsAg loss.
- See more at: http://www.hcplive.com/conferences/the-liver-meeting-2014/Tenofovir-Plus-Interferon-Improves-Antigen-Clearance-in-Chronic-Hepatitis-B-#sthash.MDDPFM76.dpufLabels: AASLD 2014, HBsAg loss, interferon plus tenofovir