Skip to main content

Treatment of HBV Cirrhosis with Fuzheng Huayu Tablet (扶正化瘀片) and Entecavir: Design of a Randomized, Double-Blind, Parallel and Multicenter Clinical Trial

Abstract

Background

Antiviral therapy can lead to regression of fibrosis in chronic hepatitis B (CHB), but it has a limited effect on cirrhosis. Chinese medicines (CMs), particularly Fuzheng Huayu Tablet (扶正化瘀片, FZHY), have an antifibrotic effect in patients with CHB.

Objective

To observe the safety and efficacy of adjunctive FZHY in patients with hepatitis B virus (HBV) cirrhosis, this study was designed as a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, parallel assignment, multicenter trial at 20 centers in China. The total 700 naive patients will be enrolled with compensate cirrhosis due to HBV, and randomly assigned into 2 groups, receiving entecavir (0.5 mg, daily) and FZHY placebo (1.6 g, 3 times a day), or entecavir (0.5 mg, daily) and FZHY (1.6 g, 3 times a day), respectively. The primary endpoint was histological improvement at week 48. The secondary outcome is the decline values of liver fibrosis using the noninvasive methods from baseline to week 48 in each arm of the study. Adverse events such as stomach upset, headache, fatigue, dizziness, nausea will be strictly recorded.

Discussion

Through this study, we hope to generate a solid evidence for the therapeutic strategy of HBV cirrhosis with a combination of anti-viral such as ETV and anti-fibrotic herbal product such as FZHY. Protocol version: Version 1.3, Date: 2014.12.4. Trial registration number: NCT02241590.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution.

References

  1. Sarin SK, Kumar M, Lau GK, Abbas Z, Chan HL, Chen CJ, et al. Asian-Pacific clinical practice guidelines on the management of hepatitis B: a 2015 update. Hepatol Int 2016;10:1–98.

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Honda K, Seike M, Murakami K. Benefits of nucleos(t)ide analog treatments for hepatitis B virus-related cirrhosis. World J Hepatol 2015;7:2404–2410.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Kose S, Tatar B, Gul S, Pala E. The effect of long-term entecavir therapy on liver histopathology in patients with chronic viral hepatitis B. Acta Clin Belg 2016;71:244–249.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Wu IC, Lai CL, Han SH, Han KH, Gordon SC, Chao YC, et al. Efficacy of entecavir in chronic hepatitis B patients with mildly elevated alanine aminotransferase and biopsy-proven histological damage. Hepatology 2010;51:1185–1189.

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Chang TT, Gish RG, de Man R, Gadano A, Sollano J, Chao YC, et al. Long-term entecavir therapy results in the reversal of fibrosis/cirrhosis and continued histological improvement in patients with chronic hepatitis B. Hepatology 2010;52:886–893.

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Chang TT, Gish RG, de Man R, Gadano A, Sollano J, Chao YC, et al. A comparison of entecavir and lamivudine for HBeAg-positive chronic hepatitis B. N Engl J Med 2006;354:1001–1010.

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Marcellin P, Gane E, Buti M, Afdhal N, Sievert W, Jacobson IM, et al. Regression of cirrhosis during treatment with tenofovir disoproxil fumarate for chronic hepatitis B: a 5-year open-label follow-up study. Lancet 2013;381:468–475.

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Xu B, Lin L, Xu G, Zhuang Y, Guo Q, Liu Y, et al. Long-term lamivudine treatment achieves regression of advanced liver fibrosis/cirrhosis in patients with chronic hepatitis B. J Gastroenterol Hepatol 2015;30:372–378.

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Liu P, Hu YY, Liu C. Multicenter clinical study on Fuzheng Huayu Capsule against liver fibrosis due to chronic hepatitis B. World J Gastroenterol 2005;11:2892–2899.

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Hassanein T, Box TD, Tong MJ, Pozza R, Rossaro L, et al. A phase E, randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, multi-center study to assess the antifibrotic activity of Fuzheng Huayu in chronic hepatitis C patients with hepatic fibrosis (S-USIIT-01). Gastroenterology 2014; 146: S261.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Jia JD, Li LJ. Guideline of prevention and treatment for chronic hepatitis B (2010). J Clin Hepatol (Chin) 2010;27:113–128.

    Google Scholar 

  12. Ishak K, Baptista A, Bianchi L, Callea F, De Groote J, Gudat F, et al. Histological grading and staging of chronic hepatitis. J Hepatol 1995;22:696–699.

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Wang QL, Tao YY, Shen L, Cui HY, Liu CH. Chinese herbal medicine Fuzheng Huayu Recipe inhibits liver fibrosis by mediating the transforming growth factor-beta1/Smads signaling pathway. J Chin Integr Med (Chin) 2012;10:561–568.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Liu CH, Hu YY, Xu LM, Liu C, Liu P. Effect of Fuzheng Huayu Formula and its actions against liver fibrosis. Chin Med 2009;4:12.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Affiliations

Authors

Contributions

Li ZX translated and drafted of the manuscript. Zhao ZM contributed in revising of the manuscript and secretary of the project; Liu P and Zheng QS designed the trial; Liu CH was PI of the project and designed the trial and critically revised English version of the manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Cheng-hai Liu.

Additional information

Conflict of Interest

None declared.

Supported by Ministry of Science and Technology of the People’s Republic of China (No. 2014ZX10005001)

Electronic Supplementary Material

Rights and permissions

Reprints and Permissions

About this article

Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Li, Zx., Zhao, Zm., Liu, P. et al. Treatment of HBV Cirrhosis with Fuzheng Huayu Tablet (扶正化瘀片) and Entecavir: Design of a Randomized, Double-Blind, Parallel and Multicenter Clinical Trial. Chin. J. Integr. Med. 27, 509–513 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11655-020-3257-6

Download citation

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11655-020-3257-6

Keywords

  • chronic hepatitis B
  • liver fibrosis
  • Fuzheng Huayu Tablet
  • randomized multicenter trial
  • trial protocol