Chronic hepatitis B virus infection: current and future treatment strategies

For the treatment of chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, pegylated interferon-alfa and nucleoside/nucleotide analogs (entecavir and tenofovir) are currently available. These drugs allow viral suppression and normalization of the liver enzyme alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and prevent the liver disease from progressing. However, several therapeutic strategies that are still in clinical development aim at a functional cure. Their aim is that the HBV envelope protein HBsAg is no longer detectable in the serum ("resolved" hepatitis B). This review article provides an overview of current and possible future antiviral therapies against chronic HBV infection. A literature search paying special attention to the current guidelines as well as current conference contributions served as the basis. The currently available antiviral therapies only very rarely lead to the elimination of HBsAg (functional cure). It is also largely unclear in which patients discontinuation of long-term therapy with entecavir or tenofovir is feasible. New therapeutic strategies in clinical development lead to a functional cure in a higher proportion of patients. However, a combination of several antiviral strategies is likely required to achieve a functional cure in the majority of patients. Such therapies may presumably be available in the next 5-10 years.