Introduction
Tenofovir alafenamide (trade name: Vemlidy) has been approved in Germany since January 2017 for the treatment of chronic hepatitis B. It is an option for adults and children over the age of 12.
Hepatitis B viruses (HBVs) are usually spread through body fluids like blood or sperm. They attack the liver, where they can cause the acute inflammation known as hepatitis. In many cases, the condition doesn't cause any symptoms and remains undetected. If it does cause symptoms, they are usually non-specific in the early stages, including things like loss of appetite, exhaustion, muscle and joint pain, and mild fever. As the condition progresses, the skin, the mucous membranes and the whites of the eyes can take on a yellowish color (jaundice). In most people, hepatitis B goes away on its own.
But in about 10 out of 100 people, the immune system is unable to successfully fight the virus, and the condition becomes chronic. This is most common in children or people with a weakened immune system. Hepatitis B is considered to be chronic if the viruses are detectable in the blood for more than six months. Chronic hepatitis doesn't necessarily cause symptoms either. In rare cases it can lead to liver cirrhosis, though. In cirrhosis, the liver function gets worse over time and the risk of liver cancer increases.
Tenofovir alafenamide aims to keep the viruses from multiplying. It is thought that patients who permanently have no detectable viruses in their blood following treatment are at lower risk of complications like these.
