Long-Term Telbivudine Treatment Results in Resolution of Liver Inflammation and Fibrosis in Patients with Chronic Hepatitis B.

INTRODUCTION: The long-term goal of chronic hepatitis B (CHB) treatment is improvement of liver disease and prevention of cirrhosis. The aim of this study was to assess whether prolonged telbivudine treatment improves liver inflammation and fibrosis. The primary objective was to evaluate the proportion of patients with absence/minimal inflammation (Knodell necroinflammatory score ≤3) on liver biopsy at Year 5. METHODS: Fifty-seven patients aged 16-70 years with a clinical history of CHB and active viral replication (38 hepatitis B e antigen [HBeAg] positive and 19 HBeAg negative) were followed for 6 years: 33 received telbivudine 600 mg/day continuously for 5 years; 24 received lamivudine 100 mg/day for 2 years and then telbivudine for 3 years. Liver biopsies were taken pre-treatment and after 5 years of treatment. RESULTS: At baseline, mean (standard deviation) serum hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA load was 8.5 (1.7) log10 copies/mL, Knodell necroinflammatory score was 7.6 (2.9), and Ishak fibrosis score was 2.2 (1.1). After antiviral treatment (median duration: 261 weeks), liver histology improved with increased proportions of patients with absence/minimal liver inflammation (Knodell necroinflammatory score ≤3), from 16% (9/57) at baseline to 98% (56/57), and absence/minimal fibrosis (Ishak score ≤1), from 25% (14/57) at baseline to 84% (48/57). At Year 5, HBV DNA load was <300 copies/mL for all patients; cumulative HBeAg loss and seroconversion rates were 88% and 77%, respectively. At Year 6, 95% of patients with abnormal baseline glomerular filtration rate (60-90 mL/min/1.73 m(2)) improved to normal GFR (>90 mL/min/1.73 m(2)). CONCLUSION: Long-term telbivudine treatment with profound and durable viral suppression significantly improved liver histology, thus achieving the long-term goals of CHB treatment. FibroScan(®) results after 5 and 6 years of treatment (in almost 20% of patients) were consistent with this information. FUNDING: Novartis and National Science and Technology Major Project (2012ZX10002003). TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov # NCT00877149.

Virologic, serologic, and biochemical outcomes through 2 years of treatment with entecavir and lamivudine in nucleoside-naïve Chinese patients with chronic hepatitis B: a randomized, multicenter study.

PURPOSE: Entecavir demonstrated superior virologic and biochemical benefits over lamivudine at 48 weeks in nucleoside-naïve Chinese patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB). We evaluated the effect of continued entecavir and lamivudine treatment in patients who continued treatment in year 2 and the off-treatment durability of patients who achieved a protocol-defined consolidated response at week 48. METHODS: Chinese adults (n = 519) with CHB were randomized to a minimum of 52 weeks of treatment with entecavir 0.5 mg/day or lamivudine 100 mg/day. Patients with a consolidated response at week 48 (HBV DNA <0.7 MEq/ml for >/=24 weeks, ALT <1.25 times ULN, and, if HBeAg(+) at baseline, loss of HBeAg for at least 24 weeks) stopped treatment at week 52 and were followed off-treatment. Patients with a partial response at week 48 (HBV DNA <0.7 MEq/ml in the absence of other criteria for a consolidated response) could continue blinded treatment for up to 96 weeks. Patients were assessed for HBV DNA, ALT normalization, safety, and, if HBeAg(+) at baseline, for HBe seroconversion. Cumulative proportions of all treated patients who ever achieved these responses were also analyzed. RESULTS: Among patients treated during year 2 (entecavir: n = 193; lamivudine: n = 145), 74% of entecavir-treated and 41% of lamivudine-treated patients had HBV DNA <300 copies/ml by PCR at end of dosing and 96% of entecavir-treated and 82% of lamivudine-treated patients normalized ALT. Eleven percent of entecavir-treated versus 19% of lamivudine-treated patients underwent HBe seroconversion during year 2. Cumulative confirmed analysis for all treated patients through 96 weeks showed that 79% of entecavir-treated versus 46% of lamivudine-treated patients (p < 0.0001) achieved HBV DNA <300 copies/ml by PCR. Similar proportions of entecavir- and lamivudine-treated patients achieved confirmed ALT normalization and HBe seroconversion. Safety profile was comparable for both treatment groups. CONCLUSIONS: Through 96 weeks of treatment, entecavir resulted in continued clinical benefit in nucleoside-naïve Chinese patients with CHB, with a safety profile comparable with lamivudine.

Entecavir for the treatment of lamivudine-refractory chronic hepatitis B patients in China.

PURPOSE: This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study was undertaken to evaluate the efficacy and safety of entecavir in Chinese patients with lamivudine-refractory chronic hepatitis B. METHODS: One hundred forty-five lamivudine-refractory patients with chronic hepatitis B were randomized to double-blind treatment with oral entecavir 1 mg (n = 116) or placebo (n = 29) daily for 12 weeks, followed by 36 weeks of open-label entecavir treatment. The primary efficacy endpoint was the mean change from baseline in serum hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay at week 12. RESULTS: At week 12, the mean change from baseline in serum HBV DNA by PCR assay was -4.30 log(10) copies/ml for patients on entecavir compared to -0.15 log(10 )copies/ml for patients on placebo (P < .0001). Among patients with baseline serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) >1 x upper limit of normal (ULN), a higher proportion of entecavir than placebo patients (68% vs. 6%, respectively) achieved ALT normalization by week 12 (P < .0001). After 48 weeks of entecavir treatment, the mean change in HBV DNA by PCR assay was -5.08 log(10) copies/ml, and 85% of patients with baseline ALT >1 x ULN had achieved ALT normalization. The safety profile of entecavir was similar to that of placebo during the first 12 weeks of blinded dosing. Entecavir was also well tolerated during 36 weeks of open-label treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Lamivudine-refractory chronic hepatitis B patients treated with entecavir demonstrated marked HBV DNA reduction and normalization of ALT in most cases. Entecavir treatment for 48 weeks was well tolerated.

Efficacy and safety of entecavir compared to lamivudine in nucleoside-naïve patients with chronic hepatitis B: a randomized double-blind trial in China.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Chronic hepatitis B has a high prevalence (>8%) in China. We compared the safety and efficacy of entecavir with that of lamivudine for the treatment of patients with chronic hepatitis B in China. METHODS: A total of 519 nucleoside-naive Chinese patients with chronic hepatitis B were randomized (1:1) and treated with entecavir 0.5 mg/d or lamivudine 100 mg/d. The primary endpoint was serum HBV DNA <0.7 MEq/ml by bDNA assay and alanine aminotransferase <1.25 x upper limit of normal (ULN) at week 48. Patients with missing week 48 measurements were considered non-responders. RESULTS: About 90% (231/258) of entecavir-treated versus 67% (174/261) of lamivudine-treated patients achieved the primary endpoint (P < 0.0001). The mean reduction from baseline in HBV DNA was greater with entecavir than lamivudine (5.90 vs. 4.33 log(10) copies/ml, P < 0.0001). Greater proportions of entecavir-treated patients achieved undetectable HBV DNA (<300 copies/ml) by polymerase chain reaction assay (76% vs. 43%, P < 0.0001) and alanine aminotransferase normalization (