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Bicyclol for chronic hepatitis B

T Wu1, H Roger, L Xie

  • 1West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chinese Cochrane Centre, Chinese EBM Centre, No. 37, Guo Xue Xiang, Chengdu, Sichuan, China. txwutx@hotmail.com

The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews
|October 21, 2006
PubMed

Insights

This review found insufficient evidence to support bicyclol for chronic hepatitis B. More large, long-term trials are needed to determine the benefits and harms of this anti-hepatitis drug.

Area of Science:

  • Hepatology
  • Pharmacology
  • Evidence-based medicine

Background:

  • Bicyclol is a synthetic anti-hepatitis drug used in China for chronic hepatitis B.
  • Systematic reviews on bicyclol therapy have not been previously conducted.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the benefits and harms of bicyclol in patients with chronic hepatitis B.

Main Methods:

  • Comprehensive literature search across multiple databases (MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, etc.) up to July 2005.
  • Included randomized clinical trials regardless of blinding, publication status, or language.
  • Primary outcomes included mortality and liver-related morbidity; secondary outcomes were viral response and liver histology.

Main Results:

  • One small, three-month randomized trial comparing bicyclol to bifendate was identified.
  • No significant evidence showed bicyclol superiority for HBeAg loss, HBeAg seroconversion, HBV DNA loss, or normalized liver enzymes.

Conclusions:

  • The current evidence is insufficient to support or refute the use of bicyclol for chronic hepatitis B.
  • Large, long-term, randomized, double-blind trials are required to establish efficacy and safety.
  • Bicyclol is recommended only within the context of randomized trials.
Abstract

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