Flares during long-term entecavir therapy in chronic hepatitis B

Genetically-modified, redirected T cells target hepatitis B surface antigen-positive hepatocytes and hepatocellular carcinoma lesions in a clinical setting

BACKGROUND/AIMS

Hepatitis B virus (HBV)-DNA integration in HBV-related hepatocellular carcinoma (HBV-HCC) can be targeted by HBV-specific T cells. SCG101 is an autologous, HBV-specific T-cell product expressing a T-cell receptor (TCR) after lentiviral transduction recognizing the envelope-derived peptide (S20-28) on HLA-A2. We here validated its safety and efficacy preclinically and applied it to an HBV-related HCC patient (NCT05339321).

METHODS

Good Manufacturing Practice-grade manufactured cells were assessed for off-target reactivity and functionality against hepatoma cells. Subsequently, a patient with advanced HBV-HCC (Child-Pugh class A, Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer stage B, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status 0, hepatitis B e antigen-, serum hepatitis B surface antigen [HBsAg]+, HBsAg+ hepatocytes 10%) received 7.9×107 cells/kg after lymphodepletion. Safety, T-cell persistence, and antiviral and antitumor efficacy were evaluated.

RESULTS

SCG101, produced at high numbers in a closed-bag system, showed HBV-specific functionality against HBV-HCC cells in vitro and in vivo. Clinically, treatment was well tolerated, and all adverse events, including transient hepatic damage, were reversible. On day 3, ALT levels increased to 1,404 U/L, and concurrently, serum HBsAg started decreasing by 3.84 log10 and remained <1 IU/mL for over six months. HBsAg-expressing hepatocytes in liver biopsies were undetectable after 73 days. The patient achieved a partial response according to modified RECIST with a >70% reduction in target lesion size. Transferred T cells expanded, developed a stem cell-like memory phenotype, and were still detectable after six months in the patient's blood.

CONCLUSION

SCG101 T-cell therapy showed encouraging efficacy and safety in preclinical models and in a patient with primary HBV-HCC and concomitant chronic hepatitis B with the capability to eliminate HBsAg+ cells and achieve sustained tumor control after single dosing.

Long-term entecavir therapy of chronic hepatitis B in real-life setting-Importance of quantitative HBsAg level

BACKGROUND

The global burden of chronic hepatitis B remains high and the best possible treatment remains long-term viral suppression expecting cure.

METHODS

Total 154 patients of chronic hepatitis B (48 HBeAg positive, e + ve) treated with oral entecavir (0.5 mg/1 mg per day) were recruited from June 2007 and followed prospectively until December 2022 for persistent HBV DNA negativity, HBeAg and HBsAg loss/seroconversion and other liver and drug-related events in real-life settings.

RESULTS

The mean duration of therapy was 6.78 (2-14) years with 1364 person-years of follow-up. All patients were HBV DNA negative by 15 months and remained so until the last follow-up. As many as 16.7% lost HBeAg after eight to 13 years of therapy, but not HBsAg. The mean fall in serum HBsAg level per year was 0.158 log IU/mL, being significantly higher in e + ve patients at baseline and until two years of therapy. The decline was significant until six years in e + ve patients compared to two years in e - ve ones. None had biochemical or virological breakthrough (except eight defaulters), flares or any untoward effects. The incidence of liver-related events, hepatocellular carcinoma and death was 10.4%, 1.9% and 14.3%, respectively, and 5.2% deaths were liver-related whose predictors were presence of cirrhosis (log rank 46.5, p > 0.001) and higher HBsAg level > 4 log IU/mL (log rank 18.15, p < 0.001) at baseline.

CONCLUSION

Long-term entecavir therapy provides additional benefits of continuous reduction of serum HBsAg levels beyond suppression of HBV DNA.

End-of-treatment HBsAg, HBcrAg and HBV RNA predict the risk of off-treatment ALT flares in chronic hepatitis B patients

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE(S)

Since ALT flares after therapy withdrawal are associated with adverse outcomes, risk stratification is of major importance. We aimed to study whether off-treatment flares are related with virological outcomes, and if serum levels of novel biomarkers at end-of-treatment (EOT) can predict flares.

METHODS

Chronic hepatitis B patients who participated in three global randomised trials of peginterferon-based therapy were studied (99-01, PARC, ARES). HBV RNA, HBsAg and HBcrAg were quantified at EOT. Associations between EOT biomarker levels and flares were assessed as continuous data and after categorisation. Flares were defined as ALT ≥5xULN during six months after therapy cessation.

RESULTS

We included 344 patients; 230 HBeAg-positive and 114 HBeAg-negative. Patients were predominantly Caucasian (77.0%) and had genotype A/B/C/D in 23.3/7.3/13.4/52.3%. Flares were observed in 122 patients (35.5%). Flares were associated with lower rates of sustained response (3.5% vs 26.8% among patients with and without a flare; p < 0.001). Higher HBsAg (OR 1.586, 95%CI 1.231-2.043), HBV RNA (OR 1.695, 95%CI 1.371-2.094) and HBcrAg (OR 1.518, 95%CI 1.324-1.740) levels were associated with higher risk of flares (p < 0.001). Combinations of biomarkers further improved risk stratification, especially HBsAg + HBV RNA. Findings were consistent in multivariate analysis adjusted for potential predictors including HBeAg-status and EOT-response (HBV DNA <200 IU/mL).

CONCLUSION

Off-treatment ALT flares were not associated with favourable virological outcomes. Higher EOT serum HBsAg, HBcrAg and HBV RNA were associated with a higher risk of flares after therapy withdrawal. These findings can be used to guide decision-making regarding therapy discontinuation and off-treatment follow-up.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT00114361, NCT00146705, NCT00877760.

HBsAg, Subviral Particles, and Their Clearance in Establishing a Functional Cure of Chronic Hepatitis B Virus Infection

In diverse viral infections, the production of excess viral particles containing only viral glycoproteins (subviral particles or SVP) is commonly observed and is a commonly evolved mechanism for immune evasion. In hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, spherical particles contain the hepatitis B surface antigen, outnumber infectious virus 10 000-100 000 to 1, and have diverse inhibitory effects on the innate and adaptive immune response, playing a major role in the chronic nature of HBV infection. The current goal of therapies in development for HBV infection is a clinical outcome called functional cure, which signals a persistent and effective immune control of the infection. Although removal of spherical SVP (and the HBsAg they carry) is an important milestone in achieving functional cure, this outcome is rarely achieved with current therapies due to distinct mechanisms for assembly, secretion, and persistence of SVP, which are poorly targeted by direct acting antivirals or immunotherapies. In this Review, the current understanding of the distinct mechanisms involved in the production and persistence of spherical SVP in chronic HBV infection and their immunoinhibitory activity will be reviewed as well as current therapies in development with the goal of clearing spherical SVP and achieving functional cure.

Benefit of transaminase elevations in establishing functional cure of HBV infection during nap-based combination therapy

Treatment of HBV infection with nucleic acid polymers and pegIFN is accompanied by transaminase elevations in 95% of participants. HBV viral rebound, partial cure (HBV DNA < 2000 IU/mL, normal ALT) or functional cure (HBV DNA target not detected, HBsAg <LLOQ, normal ALT) occurred in 27%, 38% and 35% of participants. Correlations between ALT, AST and GGT elevations, virologic baseline, response during therapy and HBV therapeutic outcome were investigated. A retrospective analysis of all 40 participants in the REP 401 study (NCT02565719) included maxima and area under the curve for ALT, AST and GGT, baseline virology, HBsAg and anti-HBs response and HBV therapeutic outcomes. ALT, AST and GGT elevations were asymptomatic, independent of baseline virologic status and anti-HBs response but correlated with HBsAg reduction ≥3 log₁₀ from baseline. Functional cure was associated with significantly lower HBsAg during the nadir of ALT flares versus viral rebound or partial cure. ALT elevations >3X ULN while HBsAg was <1 IU/mL occurred in 3/11 (27%), 11/15 (74%) and 14/14 (100%) of participants experiencing viral rebound, partial or functional cure. ALT elevation >3X ULN during HBsAg <1 IU/mL and <10 IU/mL were the best predictors of partial and functional cure. In conclusion, elevations in ALT, AST or GGT while HBsAg <10 IU/ml during therapy with REP 2139 + pegIFN are associated with partial and functional cure. More potent HBsAg reduction during flare nadir is associated with the establishment of functional cure, suggesting a critical role for HBsAg-specific immunity to achieve this outcome. These on-therapy milestones may have similar positive prognostic value with other combination therapies.

Transaminase Elevations during Treatment of Chronic Hepatitis B Infection: Safety Considerations and Role in Achieving Functional Cure

While current therapies for chronic HBV infection work well to control viremia and stop the progression of liver disease, the preferred outcome of therapy is the restoration of immune control of HBV infection, allowing therapy to be removed while maintaining effective suppression of infection and reversal of liver damage. This “functional cure” of chronic HBV infection is characterized by the absence of detectable viremia (HBV DNA) and antigenemia (HBsAg) and normal liver function and is the goal of new therapies in development. Functional cure requires removal of the ability of infected cells in the liver to produce the hepatitis B surface antigen. The increased observation of transaminase elevations with new therapies makes understanding the safety and therapeutic impact of these flares an increasingly important issue. This review examines the factors driving the appearance of transaminase elevations during therapy of chronic HBV infection and the interplay of these factors in assessing the safety and beneficial nature of these flares.

Long-term virological and adherence outcomes to antiviral treatment in a 4-year cohort chronic HBV study

BACKGROUND

Chronic hepatitis B (CHB) treatment adherence has been poorly studied worldwide. We evaluated long-term virological and adherence outcomes to antiviral treatment in CHB patients.

METHODS

A prospective 183 Brazilian CHB patient cohort treated with monotherapy or combination adefovir dipivoxil, entecavir, lamivudine and/or tenofovir disoproxil fumarate was studied in a reference tertiary centre. Treatment adherence was evaluated by a validated questionnaire named 'Assessment of Adherence to Antiviral Therapy Questionnaire' (CEAT-HBV) within three yearly periods (2010/2011, 2013/2014 and 2014/2015).

RESULTS

CEAT-HBV identified 43% (79/183) patients with non-adherence to antiviral treatment and among them, 67% (53/79) were viral load positive. The main causes associated with non-response to antiviral treatment were drug resistance variants followed by non-adherence, insufficient treatment duration and other causes. Single-dose pharmacokinetics demonstrated 35% (23/65) antiviral non-adherence. 2 years after the first assessment, the CEAT-HBV indicated that 71% (101/143) of subjects adhered to treatment (per-protocol population). However, 21% (40/183) of the patients could not be evaluated and were excluded. The main reasons for exclusion were death (20/183), 11 out 20 deaths due to hepatocellular carcinoma. HBV booklet was used for medical education. The third CEAT-HBV assessment (2014/2015) showed that 83% (112/135) patients were compliant with treatment adherence (per-protocol population). Long-term evaluation showed that adherence rate based on CEAT-HBV continue to increase after 4-years (P<0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

The results highlight the importance of CHB therapy adherence assessment monitoring. Long-term adherence outcomes were dynamic and it is possible to increase the migration rate to adherence/HBV-DNA-negative group.

Great and rapid HBsAg decline in patients with on-treatment hepatitis flare in early phase of potent antiviral therapy

HBsAg decline during nucleos(t)ide analogue therapy in chronic hepatitis B with lower pretherapy ALT is usually small and slow. This study aimed to investigate why ~10% of such patients showed "rapid HBsAg decline" ≥0.5 log₁₀ IU/mL by month 6 of therapy. Patients with persistent pretherapy ALT <5X ULN who had qHBsAg at baseline, months 6 and 12 of entecavir or tenofovir therapy were studied. "On-treatment ALT elevation" was defined as >10% increase above baseline to >2X ULN during first 6 months of therapy. Of the 256 patients treated, 51 experienced transient "on-treatment ALT elevation" [group A], including 30 (11.7%) with ALT elevation to 2-5X ULN [group A-1] and 21 (8.2%) flared to >5X ULN [group A-2]. The magnitude of qHBsAg decline and rate of "rapid HBsAg decline" by month 6 was significantly greater and more frequent in group A (-0.446 vs -0.042 log₁₀ IU/mL; 45.1 vs 8.8%, respectively, P = 0.000) than in the remaining 205 patients without on-treatment ALT elevation (group B), being greatest in patients with hepatitis flare (group A-2: -0.559 log₁₀ IU/mL and 57.1%, respectively). In patients with therapy ≥2 years, patients with "on-treatment ALT elevation" also showed significantly greater annual HBsAg decline, more frequent to <100 IU/mL and 4 times higher HBsAg seroclearance rate. "On-treatment ALT elevation," especially flare >5X ULN, during entecavir therapy or tenofovir therapy may enhance/accelerate HBsAg decline, suggesting the effect of immune restoration upon potent viral suppression.

EASL 2017 Clinical Practice Guidelines on the management of hepatitis B virus infection

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection remains a global public health problem with changing epidemiology due to several factors including vaccination policies and migration. This Clinical Practice Guideline presents updated recommendations for the optimal management of HBV infection. Chronic HBV infection can be classified into five phases: (I) HBeAg-positive chronic infection, (II) HBeAg-positive chronic hepatitis, (III) HBeAg-negative chronic infection, (IV) HBeAg-negative chronic hepatitis and (V) HBsAg-negative phase. All patients with chronic HBV infection are at increased risk of progression to cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), depending on host and viral factors. The main goal of therapy is to improve survival and quality of life by preventing disease progression, and consequently HCC development. The induction of long-term suppression of HBV replication represents the main endpoint of current treatment strategies, while HBsAg loss is an optimal endpoint. The typical indication for treatment requires HBV DNA >2,000IU/ml, elevated ALT and/or at least moderate histological lesions, while all cirrhotic patients with detectable HBV DNA should be treated. Additional indications include the prevention of mother to child transmission in pregnant women with high viremia and prevention of HBV reactivation in patients requiring immunosuppression or chemotherapy. The long-term administration of a potent nucleos(t)ide analogue with high barrier to resistance, i.e., entecavir, tenofovir disoproxil or tenofovir alafenamide, represents the treatment of choice. Pegylated interferon-alfa treatment can also be considered in mild to moderate chronic hepatitis B patients. Combination therapies are not generally recommended. All patients should be monitored for risk of disease progression and HCC. Treated patients should be monitored for therapy response and adherence. HCC remains the major concern for treated chronic hepatitis B patients. Several subgroups of patients with HBV infection require specific focus. Future treatment strategies to achieve 'cure' of disease and new biomarkers are discussed.

Clinical impact of the early alanine amininotransferase flare during tenofovir monotherapy in treatment-naïve patients with chronic hepatitis B

BACKGROUND/AIMS

Little is known about the effect of early flares on response during first-line tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) treatment for chronic hepatitis B (CHB). The aim of this study was to investigate the incidence and outcome of early alanine aminotransferase (ALT) flare in treatment-naive patients with CHB during long-term TDF monotherapy.

METHODS

One hundred eighty-one treatment-naive CHB patients were treated with a 300-mg once-daily dose of TDF for more than 12 weeks. Virological markers of hepatitis B virus (HBV) and biochemical data were measured at baseline and every 4-12 weeks during the therapy. The proportion of patients with undetectable HBV DNA level (< 100 copies/mL) was noted.

RESULTS

The median age was 48.3 years and 122 patients (67.4%) were men. Hepatitis B envelope antigen (HBeAg) was positive in 101 patients (55.8%). No patient had cirrhosis. The median follow-up duration was 45 weeks (12-155 weeks). ALT flare (>5 × upper limit of the normal range) occurred in seven patients (3%) without viral breakthrough within the first 8 weeks after the start of TDF monotherapy. Among them, six patients were HBeAg-positive and one patient was HBeAg-negative. All cases of early ALT flares resolved within 4 weeks and virologic response was observed in all patients without interruption or discontinuation of treatment.

CONCLUSIONS

Continuous TDF monotherapy was effective and safe in treatment-naive patients with CHB who experienced early ALT flares followed by a decrease in HBV DNA level.

Adverse effects of oral antiviral therapy in chronic hepatitis B

Oral nucleoside/nucleotide analogues (NAs) are currently the backbone of chronic hepatitis B (CHB) infection treatment. They are generally well-tolerated by patients and safe to use. To date, a significant number of patients have been treated with NAs. Safety data has accumulated over the years. The aim of this article is to review and update the adverse effects of oral NAs. NAs can cause class adverse effects (i.e., myopathy, neuropathy, lactic acidosis) and dissimilar adverse effects. All NAs carry a "Black Box" warning because of the potential risk for mitochondrial dysfunction. However, these adverse effects are rarely reported. The majority of cases are associated with lamivudine and telbivudine. Adefovir can lead to dose- and time-dependent nephrotoxicity, even at low doses. Tenofovir has significant renal and bone toxicity in patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. However, bone and renal toxicity in patients with CHB are not as prominent as in HIV infection. Entecavir and lamivudine are not generally associated with renal adverse events. Entecavir has been claimed to increase the risk of lactic acidosis in decompensated liver disease and high Model for End-Stage Liver Disease scores. However, current studies reported that entecavir could be safely used in decompensated cirrhosis. An increase in fetal adverse events has not been reported with lamivudine, telbivudine and tenofovir use in pregnant women, while there is no adequate data regarding entecavir and adefovir. Further long-term experience is required to highlight the adverse effects of NAs, especially in special patient populations, including pregnant women, elderly and patients with renal impairment.

Recent advances in treatment of chronic hepatitis B with entecavir

Entecavir (ETV) is a potent hepatitis B virus inhibitor with a high barrier to resistance, and it has been recommended as one of the first-line drugs for treating chronic hepatitis B (CHB) by guidelines from several international and national societies. This paper reviews the recent advances in the treatment of CHB with ETV, in terms of treatment adherence, efficacy in the treatment of various kinds of patients with CHB, management of patients with partial virological response, viral resistance or treatment failure to ETV, treatment cessation, sequential or combination therapy with ETV and pegylated interferon, as well as the surveillance of hepatocellular carcinoma.