Combination Therapy with Famciclovir and Interferon-α for the Treatment of Chronic Hepatitis B

• Published in: The Journal of infectious diseases Vol. 178; no. 5; pp. 1483 - 1487
• Main Authors: Marques, Adriana R., Lau, Daryl T. Y., McKenzie, Robin, Straus, Stephen E., Hoofnagle, Jay H.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Chicago, IL The University of Chicago Press 01.11.1998; University of Chicago Press
• Subjects: 2-Aminopurine - analogs & derivatives; 2-Aminopurine - therapeutic use; Adult; Alanine Transaminase - blood; Antibiotics. Antiinfectious agents. Antiparasitic agents; Antiviral agents; Antiviral Agents - therapeutic use; Aspartate Aminotransferases - blood; Biological and medical sciences; Biopsies; Chronic hepatitis; DNA; DNA, Viral - analysis; Drug Therapy, Combination; Famciclovir; Fibrosis; Hepatitis antigens; Hepatitis B virus; Hepatitis B virus - genetics; Hepatitis B, Chronic - drug therapy; Histology; Human viral diseases; Humans; Infections; Infectious diseases; Interferon-alpha - therapeutic use; Liver; Liver diseases; Male; Medical sciences; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Viral diseases; Viral hepatitis; Human; Purine nucleoside; Alpha interferon; Cytokine; Orthohepadnavirus; Hepatic disease; Famciclovir; Infection; Virus; Viral hepatitis B; Chemotherapy; Hepadnaviridae; Immunotherapy; Viral disease; Digestive diseases; Antiviral; Combined treatment; Hepatitis B virus
• DOI: 10.1086/314430
• ISSN: 0022-1899

Interferon-α (IFN-α) treatment results in long-term remissions in only 25%–40% of patients with chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. Famciclovir, the oral prodrug of penciclovir, inhibits HBV DNA replication. Five adults with chronic HBV infection in whom previous IFN-α therapy had failed were treated in a pilot study of overlapping IFNa and famciclovir therapy totaling 20 weeks. HBV DNA levels decreased by 0.9 log units during the initial 4-week period of famciclovir alone, followed by a further decrease of 1.8 logs during the middle 12-week period of combination therapy. HBV DNA rose by 0.9 log during the final 4-week period of IFN-α alone. Two patients cleared HBV DNA, and their liver disease improved by clinical and histologic criteria. The combination of famciclovir and IFN-α appeared to be at least additive in suppressing HBV DNA. Efficacy trials of combination therapy with famciclovir and IFN-α are warranted.