Antiviral Therapy in Hepatitis B Virus (HBV)-Related Advanced Liver Disease Patients

Hepatitis B, Chronic Clinical Trial

Official title: A Randomized, Open Label, Phase IV, Multicenter Study for Efficacy and Safety of Lamivudine Versus Entecarvir Therapy in HBV-related Advanced Liver Disease Patients With High Viral Load and Normal or Slightly Elevated Transaminase

Status Active, not recruiting

Clinical Trial Summary

This is a randomized, open label, phase IV, multicenter study for efficacy and safety of lamivudine versus entecarvir therapy in HBV-related advanced liver disease patients with high viral load and normal or slightly elevated transaminase.

Clinical Trial Description

Currently, treatment guidelines for the management of chronic hepatitis B (CHB) recommend that patients with serum HBV DNA > 105 copies/ml and elevated ALT levels greater than two times the upper limit of normal (ULN) are obvious candidates for antiviral therapy. Guidelines also suggest that antiviral therapy be considered in CHB patients with high viral load, if a biopsy shows significant liver disease despite ALT ≤ 2× ULN. Data from recent trials in hepatitis B patients who present with normal to minimally elevated ALT (≤ 2× ULN) indicate that significant hepatic pathology could still be found. Serum ALT level may not accurately predict activity of liver damage. ALT is a poor predictor of outcome and therefore is not a suitable criterion for antiviral therapy in chronic hepatitis B infection. Also, a recent large randomized controlled clinical trial comparing lamivudine maintenance and placebo in advanced fibrosis (Ishak fibrosis score ≥ 4) suggests that sustained viral suppression with antiviral therapy is linked to reduced risk for disease progression. (Liaw YF et al. NEJM 2004;351:1521-1531) ;

Study Design

Allocation: Randomized, Endpoint Classification: Efficacy Study, Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment, Masking: Open Label, Primary Purpose: Treatment

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Hepatitis
• Hepatitis A
• Hepatitis B
• Hepatitis B, Chronic
• Liver Diseases

• NCT number: NCT00823550
• Study type: Interventional
• Source: Yonsei University
• Status: Active, not recruiting
• Phase: Phase 4
• Start date: January 2009
• Completion date: July 2015