Cell culture studies in our laboratory previously demonstrated synergistic antiviral activity for the combinations of lamivudine and a novel recombinant hybrid human alpha B/D interferon (rHuαB/D IFN) against hepatitis B virus (HBV) replication. Based on these results, a study was designed to determine if an enhanced antiviral effect with this drug combination could be demonstrated in vivo using the woodchuck hepatitis virus (WHV)/woodchuck experimental model of chronic HBV infection. Both antiviral agents have been shown to be effective against WHV replication in WHV chronic carriers during previous studies by our laboratories. Two combination treatment regimens were compared to matched monotherapies in a placebo-controlled trial. The first used simultaneous administration of rHuαB/D IFN and lamivudine for 24 weeks. The other combination treatment regimen used a staggered dosing schedule of 12 weeks of administration of lamivudine alone, followed by 12 weeks of simultaneous dosing with both drugs, followed by 12 weeks of therapy with rHuαB/D IFN alone. Both treatment regimens with combinations of lamivudine and rHuαB/D IFN were more effective at reducing WHV replication in chronically infected wood-chucks than the corresponding monotherapies. Both combination treatments produced antiviral effects that were at least equal to that expected for additive activity based on estimations generated by Bliss Independence calculations. The staggered treatment regimen reduced viraemia and intrahepatic WHV replication significantly more than that expected for additive interactions, indicating synergistic antiviral effects. These studies demonstrate that combination therapy of chronic WHV infection has enhanced antiviral benefit over corresponding monotherapies and indicate that combination treatment of chronic HBV infection can be superior to therapies using a single antiviral agent.
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