VIENNA, Austria -- April 28, 2015 -- Combinations of pegylated
interferon alfa-2a (PEG-IFN) with the acyclic nucleoside phosphonate
analogues adefovir or tenofovir provide small but significant hepatitis B
surface antigen (HBsAg) loss in patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB)
and a low viral load, according to a study presented here at the
International Liver Congress, the 50th Annual Meeting of the European
Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL).
Patients with a low viral load comprise the largest group of
hepatitis B virus (HBV) infections, but they are currently not eligible
for treatment, despite being at risk of developing cirrhosis or
hepatocellular carcinoma.
“There is a rationale behind starting combination therapy for
patients who actually already have a lower viral load and lower HBsAg
levels,” said Louis Jansen, MD, Gastroenterology and Hepatology,
Academic Medical Centre, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, on April 25.
Read more...Labels: EASL 2015, PEG-IFN Plus Adefovir or Tenofovir