title: Antiviral treatment of chronic hepatitis B virus infections: the past, the present and the future.
abstract: A decade ago, standard therapy against chronic hepatitis B virus infections only consisted of lamivudine or IFN-alpha. Treatment with lamivudine and IFN has been compounded by, respectively, the emergence of drug-resistant virus strains and the appearance of serious side effects. In the last 10 years, hepatitis B treatment has made much progress. Several treatments are now licensed for the treatment of patients with chronic hepatitis B and others are under development. Here, we provide an overview of the potential and mode of action of anti-HBV agents that are currently available, and/or may become available in the near future. Foremost among these newer compounds are adefovir dipivoxil, entecavir and telbivudine.
authors.affiliation: Rega Institute for Medical Research, KULeuven, Leuven, Belgium.
authors.forename: Geoffrey
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Férir
authors.forename: Suzanne
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kaptein
authors.forename: Johan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Neyts
authors.forename: Erik
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: De Clercq
mesh_terms: D000225:Adenine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018849:Controlled Clinical Trials as Topic; D024882:Drug Resistance, Viral; D006147:Guanine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000187:drug effects; D019694:Hepatitis B, Chronic / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000494:pharmacology*; D019259:Lamivudine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009705:Nucleosides / Q000627:therapeutic use; D063065:Organophosphonates / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D009705:Nucleosides; D063065:Organophosphonates; D019259:Lamivudine; C413685:entecavir; D006147:Guanine; C053001:adefovir; D000225:Adenine; C106812:adefovir dipivoxil