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KMID : 0614720140570010060
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Journal of Korean Medical Association
2014 Volume.57 No. 1 p.60 ~ p.67
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Oral antiviral agents for treatment of chronic hepatitis B
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Ko Soon-Young
Choe Won-Hyeok
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Abstract
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The goal of antiviral therapy for chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is to eliminate or suppress HBV with the aim of preventing the devastating complications of cirrhosis, hepatic failure, and hepatocellular carcinoma. Oral antiviral agents suppress but do not eradicate HBV, therefore long-term treatment is necessary to achieve the sustained suppression of viral replication. To optimize the treatment response, treatment should be initiated at an appropriate time with the best available drugs. The indications for treatment are generally based on HBeAg status, serum HBV-DNA level, serum alanine aminotransferase, and the severity of the liver disease. Patients with clinical evidence of active viral replication either with liver inflammation or potentially evolving to cirrhosis should be treated. Nowadays, lamivudine, adefovir, clevudine, telbivudine, entecavir, and tenofovir have been approved for chronic hepatitis B (CHB). Among these, tenofovir and entecavir are potent HBV inhibitors with a high genetic barrier to resistant mutants, so they are recommended by the current treatment guidelines as preferred first-line monotherapies. Failure of antiviral therapy for CHB results in a partial virological response and virological breakthrough, which are related to antiviral-resistant mutants. If genotypic resistance is confirmed, rescue therapy should be initiated, and the regimen should include a potent drug without cross-resistance to prior antiviral agents to minimize the risk of emergence of multiple drug-resistant mutants. This article reviews the current developments in oral antiviral agents, recommendations in CHB treatment guidelines, the medical insurance policy of Korea’s National Health Insurance, and the optimal strategies for using these drugs in clinical practice.
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KEYWORD
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Hepatitis B virus, Antiviral agents
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