Drugs for hepatitis B
Chronic HBV infection is currently treated with interferon alfa, lamivudine or adefovir. Lamivudine is much better tolerated than interferon and much less expensive, but resistance to the drug occurs in about 15%-30% of patients after one year and in about 50% after 3 years. Resistance has been less of a problem with adefovir, which is active against lamivudine-resistant strains, but can cause nephrotoxicity.