11-30 Treatment of Hepatitis DSA - Pharm Flashcards
What are the drug classes for treatment of HBV?
Interferon alfa
Nucleoside/Nucleotide Analogs (NAs)
What are the advantages of interferon alfa versus NAs?
finite duration of treatment, resistance is not a problem, responses are more durable.
What are the disadvantages of interferon-alfa versus NAs?
side effects; cannot be used in patients with decompensated disease.
What is the MOA for Interferon alfa?
cytokine which exhibits complex antiviral, immunomodulatory, and anti-proliferative actions.
Inhibits viral penetration, translation, transcription, protein processing, maturation, and release.
Enhanced phagocytic activity of macrophages and augmentation of proliferation/survival of cytotoxic T-cells.
What is the Pk of interferon alfa?
Interferon alfa-2a, alfa-2b (SubQ or IM) – t1/2 2-5 hours; filtered by glomerulus, proteolytic degradation during tubular reabsorption.
What is pegylated interferon? Why is it used?
Pegylated interferon (peginterferon, Peg-IFN): polyethylene glycol complexed (non-toxic polymer excreted in the urine); always given subcutaneously;
slower clearance (30% renal – dose adjust in impairment),
longer t1/2 of 40 hours,
steadier concentration allows for less frequent dosing (once-weekly compared to daily or thrice-weekly dosing).
What is the clinical use of interferon alfa?
chronic HBV and chronic HCV (see clinical pharmacology section below).
What are the ADRs for interferon alfa?
- 30% of patients experience flu-like illness (headache, fever, chills, myalgias, malaise) within first week of therapy; occurs ~6 hours following dose (generally resolves with continued therapy).
- Transient increase in hepatic enzymes (first 8-12 weeks) à common in treatment responders.
- Chronic therapy – neurotoxicity (mood disorders, depression, somnolence, confusion, seizures), myelosuppression, profound fatigue, weight loss, rash, cough, myalgia, alopecia, tinnitus, reversible hearing loss, retinopathy, pneumonitis, possibly cardiotoxicity.
What are the contraindications for interferon alfa?
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CIs: hepatic decomposition, autoimmune disease (can cause induction of autoantibodies), history of cardiac arrhythmia, pregnancy.
- Cautions: psychiatric disease, epilepsy, thyroid disease, ischemic cardiac disease, severe renal insufficiency, and cytopenia.
What are the DDIs for interferon alfa?
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DDIs: may increase levels of theophylline and methadone.
- Co-administration not recommended with didanosine (increased risk of hepatic failure) or zidovudine (exacerbates cytopenias).
What is the MOA for NAs?
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Nucleoside/Nucleotide Analogs (NAs)
- General MOA: interfere with viral replication.
What is the general Pk for NAs?
renal elimination and must be dose adjusted in renal impairment. Long t1/2 allowing once-daily dosing.
What are the advantages of NAs compared to interferon?
- Advantages vs. Interferon: PO administration (tablets or solution), better tolerated, higher response rate, can be used for chronic therapy or in patients with significant liver disease.
What are the disadvantages of NAs?
- Disadvantages: sustained response limited after therapy discontinuation, resistance can be problematic, some agents cause peripheral neuropathy, general warning for lactic acidosis and hepatic steatosis (mitochondrial dysfunction).
Name some NAs.
Adefovir dipivoxil
Entecavir
Lamivudine
Telbivudine
Tenofovir
What is the MOA for Adefovir dipivoxil?
adenine nucleotide analog; inhibits HBV DNA polymerase, chain termination after incorporation into viral DNA.
What is the therapeutic use for adefovir dipivoxil?
- Active against a wide range of DNA and RNA viruses, including HBV, HIV, and herpesviruses.
- Not recommended as first-line agent for HBV due to slow response and low likelihood of HBeAg seroconversion.
What are the ADRs for adefovir dipivoxil?
- headache, diarrhea, abdominal pain; potential nephrotoxicity (dose-dependent).
What is the resistance to adefovir dipivoxil?
- Resistance: early development low, but up to 30% after 4 years.
No cross-resistance with lamivudine or entecavir
What is the MOA for Entecavir?
guanosine nucleoside analog; inhibits DNA polymerase (base priming, reverse transcription of negative strand, and viral DNA synthesis).
What is the therapeutic use for Entecavir?
- recommended first-line therapy for HBV; exhibits good viral suppression and normalization of liver enzymes with slowing of liver damage.
What are the ADRs for Entecavir?
well-tolerated; side effects include headache, fatigue, dizziness, nausea, rash, fever
What is the resistance for entecavir?
rare (< 1% at 4 years).
What is the MOA for lamivudine (3TC)?
cytosine analog; inhibits DNA polymerase, competes for incorporation into viral DNA, causes chain termination.
What is the therapeutic use for Lamivudine?
- HIV treatment regimens.
- Rapidly suppresses HBV, but not recommended as first-line therapy due to high rate of resistance (15-30% at 1 year and 70% at 5 years) and progressive liver disease.
What are the ADRs for lamivudine?
excellent safety profile, including use during pregnancy;
side effects are rare, but include
headache, nausea, diarrhea, myalgia, and dizziness;
co-infection with HIV may increase risk of pancreatitis.