Adding Adefovir Dipivoxil Versus Switching to Entecavir in Patients With Lamivudine-resistant Chronic Hepatitis B

Recently, published data showed combination of lamivudine and adefovir lead to PCR negativity (\<1000 copies/mL) up to 80% in the treatment of lamivudine-resistant chronic hepatitis B at year 2 \[Rapti et al. Hepatology 2007 Feb;45(2):307-13.\]. Other studies also showed 76% and 69% PCR negativity in mostly HBeAg negative subjects \[Lampertico et al. Hepatology 2006 Oct;44(4) Suppl 1:556A-557A, Lampertico et al. Hepatology 2006 Oct;44(4) Suppl 1:693A-694A\]. In the study for the treatment of lamivudine-resistant chronic hepatitis B patients which included HBeAg positive subjects more predominantly, entecavir monotherapy showed 34% of PCR negativity (\<300 copies/mL) at year 2 \[Tenney DJ, et al. Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 2007 Mar;51(3):902-11\]. Although it is assumed that combination of lamivudine and adefovir would be more effective than entecavir monotherapy for lamivudine resistant patients, we cannot verify the assumption, because there is no data directly comparing these two strategies until now. The aim of this study is to determine the most effective therapy for the patients with lamivudine resistant chronic hepatitis B. We will compare the PCR negativity (\<60 IU/ml) of HBV DNA at year 2 in patients receiving 'the combination of lamivudine and adefovir' and 'entecavir monotherapy'. Since we are planning to include lamivudine-resistant chronic hepatitis B patients regardless of HBeAg status, we assumed the PCR negativity (\<300 copies/mL or \<60 IU/mL) in adefovir-lamivudine combination and entecavir monotherapy group as 55% and 34%, respectively, considering HBeAg status and lower detection limit of PCR. The result of this study will be able to clearly demonstrate the superiority of combination therapy with lamivudine and adefovir to entecavir monotherapy, which provide us the guide to rescue therapy for patients with lamivudine resistant HBV.