Current Status of Hepatitis B Treatment—January 31, 2000

Current Status of Hepatitis B Treatment—January 31, 2000

According to Professor Tian Gengshan from the Capital Hospital (reported in the National Medicine Forum on September 17, 1999), there are currently three latest drugs for treating hepatitis B: ① interferon; ② lamivudine; ③ vidarabine monophosphate.

1. Interferon: 1 million units, a one-year course costs 30,000–40,000 yuan, with an HBsAg seroconversion rate of less than 10% and an e antigen seroconversion rate of 40%.

2. Lamivudine: 100mg, taken once daily, costs 8,000 yuan per year, with an HBsAg seroconversion rate of 5% and an e antigen seroconversion rate of 30%.

3. Vidarabine monophosphate: the course duration is similar to interferon, but the medication should not be used for too long—each course lasts one month, and severe neuromuscular disorders may occur after 2–3 months.

As for the efficacy of traditional Chinese medicines compared with the above drugs, many reports are highly inaccurate—for example, claims of 90% or higher seroconversion rates are simply nonsense. Having treated hepatitis B for over 20 years, I estimate that the efficacy of my developed hepatitis B granules and pills is around 20% for HBsAg seroconversion and about 40% for e antigen seroconversion per year.