Summary Background Whether long-term suppression of replication of hepatitis B virus (HBV) has any beneficial effect on regression of advanced liver fibrosis associated with chronic HBV infection ...remains unclear. We aimed to assess the effects on fibrosis and cirrhosis of at least 5 years' treatment with tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (DF) in chronic HBV infection. Methods After 48 weeks of randomised double-blind comparison (trials NCT00117676 and NCT00116805 ) of tenofovir DF with adefovir dipivoxil, participants (positive or negative for HBeAg) were eligible to enter a 7-year study of open-label tenofovir DF treatment, with a pre-specified repeat liver biopsy at week 240. We assessed histological improvement (≥2 point reduction in Knodell necroinflammatory score with no worsening of fibrosis) and regression of fibrosis (≥1 unit decrease by Ishak scoring system). Findings Of 641 patients who received randomised treatment, 585 (91%) entered the open-label phase, and 489 (76%) completed 240 weeks. 348 patients (54%) had biopsy results at both baseline and week 240. 304 (87%) of the 348 had histological improvement, and 176 (51%) had regression of fibrosis at week 240 (p<0·0001). Of the 96 (28%) patients with cirrhosis (Ishak score 5 or 6) at baseline, 71 (74%) no longer had cirrhosis (≥1 unit decrease in score), whereas three of 252 patients without cirrhosis at baseline progressed to cirrhosis at year 5 (p<0·0001). Virological breakthrough occurred infrequently and was not due to resistance to tenofovir DF. The safety profile was favourable: 91 (16%) patients had adverse events but only nine patients had serious events related to the study drug. Interpretation In patients with chronic HBV infection, up to 5 years of treatment with tenofovir DF was safe and effective. Long-term suppression of HBV can lead to regression of fibrosis and cirrhosis. Funding Gilead Sciences.
To revise the staging system for cutaneous melanoma on the basis of data from an expanded American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) Melanoma Staging Database.
The melanoma staging recommendations ...were made on the basis of a multivariate analysis of 30,946 patients with stages I, II, and III melanoma and 7,972 patients with stage IV melanoma to revise and clarify TNM classifications and stage grouping criteria.
Findings and new definitions include the following: (1) in patients with localized melanoma, tumor thickness, mitotic rate (histologically defined as mitoses/mm(2)), and ulceration were the most dominant prognostic factors. (2) Mitotic rate replaces level of invasion as a primary criterion for defining T1b melanomas. (3) Among the 3,307 patients with regional metastases, components that defined the N category were the number of metastatic nodes, tumor burden, and ulceration of the primary melanoma. (4) For staging purposes, all patients with microscopic nodal metastases, regardless of extent of tumor burden, are classified as stage III. Micrometastases detected by immunohistochemistry are specifically included. (5) On the basis of a multivariate analysis of patients with distant metastases, the two dominant components in defining the M category continue to be the site of distant metastases (nonvisceral v lung v all other visceral metastatic sites) and an elevated serum lactate dehydrogenase level.
Using an evidence-based approach, revisions to the AJCC melanoma staging system have been made that reflect our improved understanding of this disease. These revisions will be formally incorporated into the seventh edition (2009) of the AJCC Cancer Staging Manual and implemented by early 2010.
Background & Aims Tenofovir alafenamide, a phosphonate prodrug of tenofovir with greater plasma stability than tenofovir disoproxil fumarate, provides efficient delivery of active drug to hepatocytes ...at reduced systemic tenofovir exposures. Methods Non-cirrhotic, treatment-naïve subjects with chronic hepatitis B were randomized (1:1:1:1:1) to receive tenofovir alafenamide 8, 25, 40, or 120 mg, or tenofovir disoproxil fumarate 300 mg for 28 days and assessed for safety, antiviral response, and pharmacokinetics, followed-up by off-treatment for 4 weeks. Results 51 subjects were randomized and all completed study treatment. Groups were generally well matched (67% male, 57% Asian, 53% HBeAg-negative, mean HBV DNA approximately 6.0 log10 IU/ml) with HBV genotypes reflective of the population. No subject experienced an adverse event that was serious or severe (grade 3/4). Across the tenofovir alafenamide groups, similar mean changes in serum HBV DNA were found at Week 4 (−2.81, −2.55, −2.19, and −2.76 log10 IU/ml for the 8, 25, 40, and 120 mg groups, respectively) which were also comparable to the control (−2.68 log10 IU/ml for tenofovir disoproxil fumarate 300 mg). Kinetics of viral decline were also similar among groups. Tenofovir alafenamide pharmacokinetics were linear and proportional to the dose; doses ⩽25 mg were associated with ⩾92% reductions in mean tenofovir area under the curve relative to tenofovir disoproxil fumarate 300 mg. Conclusions Tenofovir alafenamide was safe and well tolerated; declines in HBV DNA were similar to tenofovir disoproxil fumarate at all doses evaluated. Tenofovir alafenamide 25 mg has been selected for further hepatitis B clinical development.
Background & Aims Suboptimal virologic response to nucleos(t)ide analogs may represent a significant risk factor for resistance development in patients with chronic hepatitis B virus infection; ...treatment options have not been well studied. We evaluated long-term efficacy and safety of tenofovir alone and in combination with emtricitabine in a prospective, placebo-controlled trial in patients who remained viremic on adefovir therapy. Methods Hepatitis B e antigen-positive and -negative patients with hepatitis B virus DNA ⩾1000 copies/ml despite up to 96 weeks of adefovir were randomized to double-blind tenofovir or emtricitabine/tenofovir for 168 weeks. Patients with hepatitis B virus DNA ⩾400 copies/ml (⩾69 IU/ml) at or after week 24 could switch to open-label emtricitabine/tenofovir. Results Overall, 90/105 (86%) patients (46/53 tenofovir and 44/52 emtricitabine/tenofovir) completed the 168-week study period, including 74/105 (70%) patients (35/53 tenofovir and 39/52 emtricitabine/tenofovir) who completed the study on their initial randomized treatment. Long-term viral suppression (hepatitis B virus DNA <400 copies/ml) was maintained at week 168 in 84% and 82% of patients receiving either emtricitabine/tenofovir combination or tenofovir monotherapy, respectively (non-completer equal to failure analysis). Baseline viral load as well as the presence of lamivudine and/or adefovir resistance-associated mutations at baseline had no impact on long-term treatment response. No resistance to tenofovir was observed through 168 weeks. Both treatments had a favorable safety profile. Conclusions Tenofovir monotherapy is as effective as emtricitabine/tenofovir combination therapy in maintaining long-term viral suppression in patients with a suboptimal response to adefovir, and is well tolerated in this population.
Chronic hepatitis B (CHB) is the most common cause of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) worldwide. Antiviral treatment reduces the risk of HCC and mortality; nonetheless, globally in 2019, only 2.2% of ...CHB patients received treatment. Current international CHB guidelines recommend antiviral treatment only in subsets of patients with clear evidence of liver damage. This contrasts with hepatitis C or HIV where early treatment is recommended in all infected patients, regardless of end-organ damage. This narrative review aims to provide an overview of data on the early initiation of antiviral treatment and its related potential economic impact. Literature searches were performed using PubMed and abstracts from international liver congresses (2019-2021). Data on risk of disease progression and HCC and the impact of antiviral treatment in currently ineligible patients were summarized. Cost-effectiveness data on early antiviral treatment initiation were also collated. Accumulating molecular, clinical, and economic data suggest that early initiation of antiviral treatment could save many lives through HCC prevention in a highly cost-effective manner. In light of these data, we consider several alternative expanded treatment strategies that might further a simplified 'treatment as prevention' approach.
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the leading cause of death in patients with chronic hepatitis. In this international collaboration, we sought to develop a global universal HCC risk score to predict ...the HCC development for patients with chronic hepatitis.
A total of 17,374 patients, comprising 10,578 treated Asian patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB), 2,510 treated Caucasian patients with CHB, 3,566 treated patients with hepatitis C virus (including 2,489 patients with cirrhosis achieving a sustained virological response) and 720 patients with non-viral hepatitis (NVH) from 11 international prospective observational cohorts or randomised controlled trials, were divided into a training cohort (3,688 Asian patients with CHB) and 9 validation cohorts with different aetiologies and ethnicities (n = 13,686).
We developed an HCC risk score, called the aMAP score (ranging from 0 to 100), that involves only age, male, albumin–bilirubin and platelets. This metric performed excellently in assessing HCC risk not only in patients with hepatitis of different aetiologies, but also in those with different ethnicities (C-index: 0.82–0.87). Cut-off values of 50 and 60 were best for discriminating HCC risk. The 3- or 5-year cumulative incidences of HCC were 0–0.8%, 1.5–4.8%, and 8.1–19.9% in the low- (n = 7,413, 43.6%), medium- (n = 6,529, 38.4%), and high-risk (n = 3,044, 17.9%) groups, respectively. The cut-off value of 50 was associated with a sensitivity of 85.7–100% and a negative predictive value of 99.3–100%. The cut-off value of 60 resulted in a specificity of 56.6–95.8% and a positive predictive value of 6.6–15.7%.
This objective, simple, reliable risk score based on 5 common parameters accurately predicted HCC development, regardless of aetiology and ethnicity, which could help to establish a risk score-guided HCC surveillance strategy worldwide.
In this international collaboration, we developed and externally validated a simple, objective and accurate prognostic tool (called the aMAP score), that involves only age, male, albumin–bilirubin and platelets. The aMAP score (ranged from 0 to 100) satisfactorily predicted the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) development among over 17,000 patients with viral and non-viral hepatitis from 11 global prospective studies. Our findings show that the aMAP score had excellent discrimination and calibration in assessing the 5-year HCC risk among all the cohorts irrespective of aetiology and ethnicity.
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•In total, 17,374 patients with viral and non-viral hepatitis from 11 global prospective cohorts/trials were studied.•An HCC risk score (called the aMAP score, ranging from 0 to 100), which involves only age, male, albumin–bilirubin and platelet data, was developed and validated.•The aMAP score had excellent discrimination and calibration in assessing the 5-year HCC risk irrespective of aetiology and ethnicity.•Patients with aMAP score <50, accounting for 44% of overall population, had an HCC incidence of <0.2% per year.
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•TAF is a new prodrug of tenofovir developed to treat patients with chronic HBV.•A lower dose of TAF can be used because it delivers tenofovir more efficiently to hepatocytes than ...TDF.•At week 48, TAF had non-inferior efficacy to TDF with improved renal and bone safety.•Efficacy and safety results at week 96 confirm the 48-week results in both studies.
Tenofovir alafenamide (TAF) is a new prodrug of tenofovir developed to treat patients with chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection at a lower dose than tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) through more efficient delivery of tenofovir to hepatocytes. In 48-week results from two ongoing, double-blind, randomized phase III trials, TAF was non-inferior to TDF in efficacy with improved renal and bone safety. We report 96-week outcomes for both trials.
In two international trials, patients with chronic HBV infection were randomized 2:1 to receive 25 mg TAF or 300 mg TDF in a double-blinded fashion. One study enrolled HBeAg-positive patients and the other HBeAg-negative patients. We assessed efficacy in each study, and safety in the pooled population.
At week 96, the differences in the rates of viral suppression were similar in HBeAg-positive patients receiving TAF and TDF (73% vs. 75%, respectively, adjusted difference −2.2% (95% CI −8.3 to 3.9%; p = 0.47), and in HBeAg-negative patients receiving TAF and TDF (90% vs. 91%, respectively, adjusted difference −0.6% (95% CI −7.0 to 5.8%; p = 0.84). In both studies the proportions of patients with alanine aminotransferase above the upper limit of normal at baseline, who had normal alanine aminotransferase at week 96 of treatment, were significantly higher in patients receiving TAF than in those receiving TDF. In the pooled safety population, patients receiving TAF had significantly smaller decreases in bone mineral density than those receiving TDF in the hip (mean % change −0.33% vs. −2.51%; p <0.001) and lumbar spine (mean % change −0.75% vs. −2.57%; p <0.001), as well as a significantly smaller median change in estimated glomerular filtration rate by Cockcroft-Gault method (−1.2 vs. −4.8 mg/dl; p <0.001).
In patients with HBV infection, TAF remained as effective as TDF, with continued improved renal and bone safety, two years after the initiation of treatment. Clinicaltrials.gov number: NCT01940471 and NCT01940341.
At week 96 of two ongoing studies comparing the efficacy and safety of tenofovir alafenamide (TAF) to tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) for the treatment of chronic hepatitis B patients, TAF continues to be as effective as TDF with continued improved renal and bone safety.
Registration: Clinicaltrials.gov number: NCT01940471 and NCT01940341.
Background
Long-term tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) treatment for chronic hepatitis B (CHB) is associated with sustained viral suppression and regression of fibrosis and cirrhosis at year 5 ...(240 weeks) and no TDF resistance through 6 years (288 weeks).
Aim
We assessed the efficacy, safety, and resistance of TDF for up to 7 years (336 weeks) in HBeAg-positive and HBeAg-negative CHB patients.
Methods
Patients who completed 1 year (48 weeks) of randomized treatment with TDF or adefovir dipivoxil were eligible to receive open-label TDF for a total duration of 8 years (384 weeks).
Results
Of 641 patients initially randomized, 585 (91.3 %) entered the open-label phase; 437/585 (74.7 %) remained on study at year 7. For patients on treatment at year 7, 99.3 % maintained viral suppression (HBV DNA < 69 IU/mL), 80.0 % achieved serum alanine aminotransferase normalization, and in HBeAg-positive patients, 84/154 (54.5 %) and 25/154 (11.8 %) achieved HBeAg and HBsAg loss, respectively. One/375 (0.3 %) HBeAg-negative patients achieved HBsAg loss. No resistance to TDF was detected through 7 years. During the open-label phase, grade 3/4 drug-related adverse events were uncommon (1.0 %); ten (1.7 %) patients had elevation of serum creatinine ≥0.5 mg/dL above baseline. No significant change in bone mineral density was observed from year 4 to year 7 (week 192 to week 336).
Conclusions
Long-term TDF treatment was associated with sustained virologic, biochemical, and serologic responses, without resistance. TDF treatment was well tolerated, with a low incidence of renal and bone events. These data confirm the safety and efficacy of long-term TDF for CHB.
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