In that prospective, controlled study, 62% of patients who stopped TDF therapy (n = 13) stayed off therapy to week 144 of treatment follow-up. Four of the patients achieved HBsAg loss, and median HBsAg change was –0.59log10IU/mL vs. 0.21log10IU/mL in patients who stayed on TDF therapy.
Investigators said that result demonstrated the potential of stopping long-term TDF treatment and seeing either HBsAg loss or sustained virologic response.
Before that, a retrospective study from investigators in Taiwan showed that age plus level of HBsAg were associated with HBV relapse after entecavir treatment in HBeAg-negative patients. According to investigators, those results suggested HBsAg levels could be used to guide timing of entecavir cessation.
If antiviral therapy is stopped in an HBeAg-negative patient, that patient should be monitored every 3 month for a year for recurrent viremia, ALT flares, and hepatic decompensation, Dr. Kim said at the meeting.
Andrew Bowser/MDedge News
Dr. W. Ray Kim
Even before stopping, “there are a number of factors to consider, including biological relapse, flare, hepatic decompensation,” he said.
On the other hand, there is the burden of continued therapy, financial concerns of continuing treatment due not only to medication costs but also long-term monitoring, as well as patient and provider preference, he noted in his presentation.
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Dr. Kim reported serving as a consultant to Gilead.
