[Comparative efficacy of etiotropic therapy of patients with HBeAg-positive chronic hepatitis B (by the data of the international comparative placebo-controlled study)].

Comparative placebo-controlled study entrolled 647 patients with verified diagnosis of chronic virus hepatitis B (HBeAg+), not previously subjected to antiviral therapy (with nucleotide analogues or interferons). The drug under the investigation was cycloferon, an earlier interferon inductor. The antiviral combination therapy of the main group patients (323 subjects) included the use of cycloferon + lamivudine for 48 weeks and the therapy of the control group patients (324 subjects) included the use of lamivudine + placebo for 48 weeks. The cycloferon and lamividine combination antiviral therapy was shown preferable vs. the lamivudine + placebo therapy by biochemical remission, virusological response, seroconversion by HBeAg by the 48th week of the treatment and HBsAg clearance. The conbination therapy provided lower frequency of the relapses within 24 weeks of the observation. The higher efficacy of the antiviral combination therapy was evident of the impact of the antiviral activity of cycloferon itself and its immunomodulating and interferon-inducing activity on elimination of the virus-infected hepatocytes. The use of the 48-week course of the antiviral combination therapy is advisable as the prime treatment in the management of patients with HBeAg-positive chronic hepatitis not previously treated with nucleoside analogues and as a variant of therapy for lamivudine-refractory patients.

[Meglumine acridonacetate in combined antiviral treatment of HBeAg-positive chronic hepatitis B].

647 patients with HBeAg positive chronic hepatitis B who have not previously received antiviral therapy were participated in randomized, post-marketing, double-blinded, placebo-controlled clinical trial. Interferon inducer cycloferon was presented as study drug. 323 patients with chronic hepatitis B (HBV) with "wild" HBeAg(+) strain of HBV were treated with cycloferon and Lamivudin for 48 weeks. Control group included 324 patients with similar pathology, treated with Lamivudin and placebo for 48 weeks. The study has shown the benefit of cycloferon+lamivudin treatment in comparison with lamivudin monotherapy. Improving of liver histology in 48 weeks of the therapy was observed in 71% of patients in Study group in comparison with 57% in control group (p<0.01). Combined therapy has resulted in decrease of relapse by 24 week of the follow-up period (13% vs. 86%, p<0.001). The higher efficacy of cycloferon+lamivudin in patients with HBeAg positive chronic hepatitis B has proven the role of own antiviral effect of interferon inducer cycloferon, interferon effect of cycloferon in the elimination of virus-infected hepatocytes, as well as the presence of an immunomodulatory effect of the preparation, aimed at the elimination of HBeAg and HBsAg with the following seroconversion. 48-week course of combined antiviral therapy of HBeAg-positive patients with chronic hepatitis B is recommended as first-line therapy for patients with HBeAg-positive chronic hepatitis B, who have not previously received nucleoside analogues, as well as alternative therapy of Lamivudin-refractory patients.