TELBIVUDINE ACHIEVES GREATER RESPONSE THAN LAMIVUDINE IN HEPATITIS B TRIAL

Chronic hepatitis B patients treated with telbivudine achieved a significantly greater virological response compared to those treated with lamivudine, regardless of hepatitis B e-antigen (HBeAg) status, according to a new study.

In a Phase III trial, investigators randomized 1,367 adults with chronic hepatitis B to telbivudine or to lamivudine. Telbivudine achieved significantly greater reductions of hepatitis B virus (HBV) deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) after 52 weeks among both HBeAg-positive patients and HBeAg-negative patients.