Overview

There is usually no need for treatment of an acute infection in adults. With chronic hepatitis B, the goal of treatment is to clear the virus, develop the immune response against future reinfection, and prevent serious complications that may result.

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All of the oral medications that have been approved for hepatitis B are very effective at suppressing the virus. However, unless patients develop antibodies against the virus, discontinuation of therapy may lead to recurrence. Some patients develop hepatitis B "mutants" during and after treatment. This illustrates the complexity of treatment for chronic hepatitis B infection and the need for new treatment regimens. A comparison of medications and drug combinations is needed to determine the best long-term treatment strategies. None of these medications offer a "cure," except in rare cases, but they do slow the disease, possibly preventing some life-threatening complications.

Liver transplantation remains an option for those patients who progress to end-stage liver disease, or for those who develop liver cancer. Over time, survival rates have increased and recurrence rates have declined since the institution of long-term hepatitis B immune globulin after liver transplantation. The availability of new drugs may further improve outcomes in the post-transplantation period.

This section contains more on:

• Medical therapy
• Treating fulminant hepatitis, a rare complication
• Treating liver cancer