PHILADELPHIA – Tenofovir alafenamide, the newest kid on the block for treatment of chronic hepatitis B, not only has less bone and renal effects than tenofovir disoproxil, but now also appears to improve those parameters in patients switched over from the older tenofovir formulation, according to Paul Kwo, MD.
“Renal function, as well as hip and spine bone mineral density measurements, all improve after you flip,” said Dr. Kwo, director of hepatology at Stanford (Calif.) University.
Andrew D. Bowser/Frontline Medical News
Dr. Paul Kwo
Dr. Kwo described some of the latest data on the newer tenofovir formulation in a hepatitis B update he gave at the conference, jointly provided by Rutgers and Global Academy for Medical Education.
Tenofovir alafenamide, a nucleoside analogue reverse transcriptase inhibitor, was approved in November 2016 for treatment of adults with chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection and compensated liver disease.
It has similar efficacy to tenofovir disoproxil, with fewer bone and renal effects, according to results of two large international phase 3 trials.
Some of the latest data, presented in October 2017 at The Liver Meeting in Washington, show that switching patients from tenofovir disoproxil to tenofovir alafenamide improved creatinine clearance and increased rates of alanine aminotransferase normalization, with sustained rates of virologic control, over 48 weeks of treatment.
Similar results were seen for bone mineral density. “It goes up over time, and you approach bone mineral density levels that are similar to [levels in] those who are on tenofovir alafenamide long term,” Dr. Kwo said, commenting on results of the study.