Treatment of hepatitis B with interferon and combination therapy.
Pegylated interferon alpha-a (40 kDa) has recently been shown to be superior to conventional interferon. Furthermore, in a pilot study, pegylated interferon alpha-2b together with lamivudine was superior to lamivudine monotherapy. Therefore, the pegylated interferons alone or in combination with antiviral agents are likely to be the treatment of the future. Selecting patients for treatment and knowing when to treat them is as important as knowing which medicine to treat them with.
Department of Medicine, The University of Queensland, C8 Clinical Sciences Building, Royal Brisbane Hospital, Queensland 4029, Australia. grahamC@qimr.edu.au
W Graham
WG
Cooksley
D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D006512:Hepatitis B Core Antigens / Q000097:blood; D006513:Hepatitis B e Antigens / Q000097:blood; D006515:Hepatitis B virus; D019694:Hepatitis B, Chronic / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D019259:Lamivudine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D012008:Recurrence
D000998:Antiviral Agents; D006512:Hepatitis B Core Antigens; D006513:Hepatitis B e Antigens; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D019259:Lamivudine; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols; C417083:peginterferon alfa-2b; C100416:peginterferon alfa-2a