Lamivudine Revisited: Long-Term Treatment of Relatively Low-Viremic Hepatitis B Patients on Higher-Dose Lamivudine

Abstract

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is a significant global health problem with more than 350 million people chronically infected. Currently it is believed that HBV is responsible for 50% of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) worldwide [1-3]. While a cure for HBV is still needed, several oral drugs that suppress viral replication exist. In the United States, six nucleos(t)ide analogues that have been approved at different time periods include lamivudine (1998), adefovir (2002), entecavir (2005), telbivudine (2006), tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (2008) and tenofovir alafenamide (2016).