Antiviral therapy for hepatitis B virus infections: new targets and technical challenges.

Abstract

There are presently only two licensed therapies for treating liver disease caused by infection with the hepatitis B virus (HBV). These are interferon-alpha and lamivudine. Neither agent was specifically developed as an antiviral compound for treating patients infected with HBV. Both therapies are limited in the clinic by a low response rate and in the case of lamivudine, selection of drug-resistant mutants, whilst troublesome side effects limit the use of interferon-alpha. Several promising nucleoside/nucleotide analogues are undergoing clinical trials, including adefovir dipivoxil and entecavir, both of which appear to be active against lamivudine- resistant HBV. In addition to these nucleo..