What medications are used for hepatitis B antiviral therapy?

Currently, there are six oral antiviral agents approved for the treatment of hepatitis B: lamivudine, adefovir dipivoxil, entecavir, telbivudine, tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF), and tenofovir alafenamide (TAF).

As of 2018, all six oral antiviral agents have been approved for marketing in China.

Moreover, generic versions of four of these drugs—lamivudine, adefovir dipivoxil, entecavir, and TDF—are now domestically manufactured in China; only telbivudine and TAF remain available exclusively as imported products. Since long-term oral administration is required to achieve effective antiviral therapy for chronic hepatitis B, treatment adherence and drug selection are critical.

There are substantial price differences among these six agents, and even within the same drug class, prices of domestically produced generics differ significantly from those of imported formulations. Therefore, when selecting an antiviral treatment regimen, patients must consult qualified healthcare institutions and experienced hepatology specialists, and choose the most appropriate oral antiviral therapy based on their individual clinical condition and financial circumstances.