Hepatitis b drug holiday: can stopping treatment lead to a cure?
NCT ID NCT04431245
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study follows 54 people with chronic hepatitis B who stop taking their antiviral medication after at least three years. Researchers will closely monitor their immune system and virus levels to see what happens during a flare. The goal is to learn whether a controlled flare might help the body fight off the virus for good.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this study could help doctors understand when it might be safe to stop antiviral therapy for chronic hepatitis B, potentially reducing long-term medication use.
- What could go wrong
- This is an observational study with only 54 participants. It does not test a new treatment, and stopping antivirals carries a risk of serious liver flare. Results may not apply to all patients.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Participants
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About 54 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Jun 2021
- Expected to finish
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Dec 2026
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
Who is studied
HBeAg-negative non-cirrhotic CHB patients on long-term NA ≥3 years will be identified. Only those who have undetectable serum HBV DNA by the conventional assay (Cobas Taqman, Roche Diagnostics, Branchburg, NJ) which has a lower limit of detection (LLOD) of 10 IU/mL will be recruited. CHB patients were treated with potent oral NA (i.e. tenofovir or entecavir). All recruited patients will have written informed consent for participation of study. Patients with HCC, cirrhosis, history of liver transplantation, or on immunosuppressants, will be excluded.
- Ages
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18 years and older
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * HBeAg-negative * non-cirrhotic * on long-term NA ≥3 years (entecavir or tenofovir) * undetectable serum HBV DNA Exclusion Criteria: * HCC, cirrhosis, history of liver transplantation, or on immunosuppressants,
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Man Fung Yuen
Hong Kong, Please Select One ..., Hong Kong
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