title: Role of combination therapy in chronic hepatitis B.
abstract: Combination therapy includes the use of two or more antivirals for the treatment of chronic hepatitis B. No study has shown that combination therapy is superior to monotherapy in naive patients for achieving treatment end points, but combination appears to result in a lower incidence of resistance. Moreover, the higher-potency compounds have not yet been studied. Consideration should be given to treating lamivudine-resistant patients with combination therapy, preferably with a nucleotide analogue in conjunction with a nucleoside analogue. Combination therapy should be considered in patients with decompensated cirrhosis who are unable to achieve an undetectable viral level on monotherapy and in naive patients who still have a detectable viral level 6 to 12 months after starting therapy.
authors.affiliation: Harborview Medical Center, 325 Ninth Avenue, Box 359938, Seattle, WA 98104, USA. jdscott@u.washington.edu
authors.forename: John D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Scott
authors.forename: Brian
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: McMahon
mesh_terms: D000225:Adenine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000097:blood; D003841:Deoxycytidine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000627:therapeutic use; D024882:Drug Resistance, Viral; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D000068679:Emtricitabine; D006147:Guanine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000097:blood; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D019694:Hepatitis B, Chronic / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007372:Interferons / Q000627:therapeutic use; D019259:Lamivudine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D063065:Organophosphonates / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016879:Salvage Therapy / Q000379:methods; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D004279:DNA, Viral; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens; D063065:Organophosphonates; D003841:Deoxycytidine; D019259:Lamivudine; C413685:entecavir; D006147:Guanine; C053001:adefovir; D007372:Interferons; D000068679:Emtricitabine; D000225:Adenine