However, it remains important to note that the two groups after Week 24�C telbivudine and telbivudine plus tenofovir �C were not randomized and hence statistical comparisons are limited. In particular, the lack of randomization, and confounding by Week 24 response to telbivudine, http://www.selleckchem.com/products/Imatinib(STI571).html precludes efficacy comparison between the telbivudine and telbivudine plus tenofovir groups. Results Patient Disposition The efficacy population comprised 100 patients and the safety population 105 patients (Figure 2). Patient demographics and baseline characteristics are shown in Table 1, stratified according to treatment after Week 24. Compared with those who remained on telbivudine monotherapy, a higher proportion of intensification patients had baseline HBV DNA ��9 log10 copies/mL (73.3% versus 36.

4% of those remaining on monotherapy; P<0.001). Mean baseline ALT was also higher in those who remained on monotherapy (167.2 U/L versus 93.2 U/L; P=0.0045). Other characteristics were broadly similar between those who did and did not receive intensification. Table 1 Demographics and baseline characteristics (efficacy population) according to post-Week 24 treatment. A total of 99/100 patients in the efficacy population (99%) completed Week 52. There was one discontinuation in the telbivudine plus tenofovir group for loss to follow-up after Week 30. Efficacy At Week 24, 55 of 100 patients (55%) in the efficacy population had undetectable HBV DNA and continued to receive monotherapy. All of these 55 patients remained undetectable at Week 52 on telbivudine monotherapy.

The remaining 45 patients (45%) received telbivudine plus tenofovir after Week 24, of whom 38 (84.4%) had undetectable DNA at Week 52. Of these 45 patients, 12 had baseline HBV DNA <9 log10 copies/mL (of whom 3 also had baseline ALT ��2��ULN) and 33 had ��9 log10 copies/mL. All (12/12) of the patients with baseline HBV DNA <9 log10 copies/mL, and 78.8% (26/33) of those with ��9 log10 copies/mL, achieved undetectable DNA at week 52. The overall rate of undetectable HBV DNA at Week 52 (primary endpoint) was therefore 93% (93/100) by LOCF analysis. This value was the same by a strict ITT missing=failure analysis, as one patient lost to follow-up after Week 30 had detectable HBV DNA (2.67 log) at last visit. Primary and secondary efficacy endpoints are shown in Table 2.

Figure 3 shows mean changes from baseline in HBV DNA by visit for the two treatment groups. By LOCF Anacetrapib analysis, mean reduction from baseline in HBV DNA at Week 24 was ?6.2 log10 copies/mL in patients who continued to receive telbivudine alone, versus ?6.0 log10 copies/mL in those who subsequently received tenofovir. The Week 24 mean reduction remained stable at ?6.2 log10 through Week 52 in those who continued telbivudine monotherapy, while the addition of tenofovir resulted in an additional 1.4 log10 reduction at Week 52 in the intensification group.