Authors' objectives: Tenofovir alafenamide is intended to be used as monotherapy for the treatment of chronic hepatitis B. Tenofovir alafenamide is a nucleotide analogue reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NtRTI) and a prodrug of tenofovir, with a potentially greater antiviral activity compared to the existing tenofovir preparation, tenofovir disoproxil fumarate. If licensed, tenofovir alafenamide monotherapy will provide an additional oral treatment option for patients with chronic hepatitis B. Hepatitis B is a potentially life-threatening liver infection caused by the hepatitis B virus. It is the most common chronic viral infection in the world and an estimated two billion people are infected, and more than 350 million people are chronic carriers of the virus. The likelihood that infection with the virus becomes chronic depends upon the age at which a person becomes infected: 80-90% of infants infected during the first year of life and 30-50% of children infected before the age of six develop chronic infection, whilst 20-30% of adults who are chronically infected will develop cirrhosis and/or liver cancer. In the UK, approximately 78,000 people are diagnosed with chronic hepatitis B each, of whom 5% receive antiviral treatment. Chronic hepatitis B can be treated with specific antiviral agents and these treatments can slow the progression of cirrhosis, reduce incidence of liver cancer and improve long term survival. Tenofovir is currently in two phase III trials comparing its effects on circulating hepatitis B viral DNA levels against treatment with tenofovir disoproxil fumarate. These trials are expected to complete in 2015.

Project Status: Completed

Year Published: 2015

URL for published report: http://www.hsric.nihr.ac.uk/topics/tenofovir-alafenamide-monotherapy-for-hepatitis-b/

English language abstract: An English language summary is available

Publication Type: Not Assigned

Country: England, United Kingdom

Organisation Name: NIHR Horizon Scanning Centre

Contact Address: The NIHR Horizon Scanning Centre, Department of Public Health, Epidemiology, and Biostatistics, School of Health and Population Sciences, University of Birmingham, 90 Vincent Drive, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2SP. United Kingdom. Tel: +44 121 414 7831, Fax: +44 121 2269

Contact Name: c.packer@bham.ac.uk

Contact Email: c.packer@bham.ac.uk

Copyright: NIHR Horizon Scanning Centre (NIHR HSC)