About this trial
The goal of this clinical trial is to compare sequential PEG-IFNα therapy strategies in chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients previously treated with ASO/siRNA. The main questions it aims to answer are:
1. Does sequential PEG-IFNα therapy (vs. deferred/no treatment) improve HBsAg clearance rates? 2. What are the HBsAg clearance and relapse rates after 24 weeks of PEG-IFNα therapy? 3. Is intermittent PEG-IFNα therapy as effective and safe as continuous therapy?
Researchers will compare:
• Group A (immediate 24-week PEG-IFNα + 24-week follow-up) vs. Group B (24-week observation + 24-week PEG-IFNα) in Phase 1 to see if sequential PEG-IFNα therapy will improve HBsAg loss rate .
Researchers will describe:
* The response rate of IFN treatment in non-responders (HBsAg-positive) in Phase 2. * The relaspe rate of responders (HBsAg-negative).
Participants will:
Phase 1 (0-48 weeks):
* Group A: Receive PEG-IFNα for 24 weeks, followed by 24-week treatment-free follow-up. * Group B: Undergo 24-week observation, then receive PEG-IFNα for 24 weeks.
Phase 2 (48-96 weeks):
* HBsAg-positive at week 48 patients either from group A or group B : Receive 24-week PEG-IFNα therapy, followed by 24-week follow-up. * HBsAg-negative at week 48 patients either from group A or group B: Enter 24-week follow-up without treatment.
All participants will undergo:
• HBsAg quantification, HBV DNA, liver function, and safety monitoring (every 12 weeks).
Eligibility criteria
Qualifiers
Age ≥18 years.
Chronic HBV infection (documented HBsAg positivity for >6 months).
Received ≥1 dose of ASO/siRNA (or matched placebo, if applicable).
Achieved ≥1 log10 IU/mL HBsAg decline from baseline during prior therapy.
Disqualifiers
Decompensated cirrhosis or hepatic malignancy (evidenced by imaging or histology within 6 months before/during screening).
Elevated AFP: Screening AFP >100 ng/mL; AFP 20-100 ng/mL with imaging-confirmed hepatocellular carcinoma (ultrasound/CT/MRI).
Coinfection with hepatitis A virus (HAV), hepatitis C virus (HCV), hepatitis D virus (HDV), hepatitis E virus (HEV), or human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).
Recent immunomodulatory therapy: Systemic corticosteroids, thymosin, or other potent immunomodulators for >2 weeks within 6 months before enrollment.
Trial design
Treatments tested in this trial
- Pegylated Interferon-alpha (IFN)