New Treatment for Hepatitis B

ATHENS, Greece (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Two new studies report new treatment for patients with hepatitis B. The studies find the drug adefovir dipivoxil is effective for patients who have both high and low viral loads of hepatitis B.

Hepatitis B is a serious disease caused by a virus that attacks the liver. The best protection against hepatitis B virus is a vaccination. The vaccine has been available since 1982, but more than 75,000 people are still infected each year. A patient who tests positive for hepatitis B antigen means they have a high viral load and can infect others. A patient who tests negative for hepatitis B antigen has a low viral load.

In the first study, researchers from Athens included 185 patients testing negative for hepatitis B antigen. The patients were randomly assigned to receive one of two doses of adefovir dipivoxil or placebo for 48 weeks. Doctors then focused on the patients' improvements.

Researchers report at the end of the study, 64 percent of patients saw improvements in their liver abnormalities compared to 33 percent of the patients on the placebo. The study also shows the serum levels of the hepatitis B virus were reduced in 51 percent of the patients on the drug and in none of the patients in the placebo group. Furthermore, the study finds there were no adverse effects from the drug.

In the second study, researchers from France assigned 515 patients testing positive for hepatitis B antigen to receive one of two doses of adefovir dipivoxil or a placebo for 48 weeks. Researchers looked at the histological (tissue) improvements in the patients.

Researchers say in this study, the patients on the drug had significant improvements over the patients on the placebo. Patients on the drug saw a reduction in their serum levels. They also found the group given the higher dose of the drug did have some adverse events compared to those on the placebo.

The studies conclude adefovir dipivoxil is beneficial for both patients with positive and negative hepatitis B antigens.

This article was reported by Ivanhoe.com, who offers Medical Alerts by e-mail every day of the week. To subscribe, go to: http://www.ivanhoe.com/newsalert/.

SOURCE: The New England Journal of Medicine, 2003;348:800-807, The New England Journal of Medicine, 2003;348:808-816