title: Entecavir for the long-term treatment of chronic hepatitis B.
abstract: Hepatitis B virus is a major cause of chronic liver disease worldwide and is associated with an increased risk of hepatocellular carcinoma, progressive hepatic fibrosis and end-stage liver disease. Suppression of HBV replication is recognized as the primary on-treatment goal of antiviral therapy, as reduction of serum HBV DNA to low or undetectable levels is highly likely to have a positive impact on long-term clinical outcomes in HBV-associated chronic liver disease. Entecavir is an oral nucleoside analogue that effectively inhibits HBV polymerase, resulting in rapid viral suppression. Long-term data on patients receiving entecavir for chronic hepatitis B have demonstrated high potency, a low incidence of antiviral drug resistance and good tolerability, making entecavir an ideal first-line agent for the treatment of chronic hepatitis B.
authors.affiliation: Division of Hepatology, Baylor Regional Transplant Institute, Baylor All Saints Medical Center, 1400 8th Avenue, Building C, 1st Floor, Fort Worth, TX 76104, USA. stevan.gonzalez@baylorhealth.edu
authors.forename: Stevan A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Gonzalez
authors.forename: Emmet B
authors.initials: EB
authors.lastname: Keeffe
mesh_terms: D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology; D024882:Drug Resistance, Viral; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology; D015684:Gene Products, pol / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*; D006147:Guanine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000201:enzymology; D019694:Hepatitis B, Chronic / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D008134:Long-Term Care; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D019562:Viral Load / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D015684:Gene Products, pol; C066027:P protein, Hepatitis B virus; C413685:entecavir; D006147:Guanine