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AzTrials

Chronic Hepatitis BPhase 4NCT06900166

Pegylated Interferon Alfa-2b in Reducing Relapse Rates After Nucleos(t)ide Analogue Withdrawal in HBeAg-negative CHB Patients with Low Level HBsAg

A Phase 4 study testing PegIFN alfa-2b and PegIFN alfa-2b and NUC in people with Chronic Hepatitis B, run by Huashan Hospital at 1 site in China.

Not yet recruiting

Opening soon. The study is approved but enrolment has not started yet. Sites may already take enquiries.

Sites and contacts
Official record
Search all trials

Trial summary

All enrolled patients must meet the European Guidelines for the Prevention and Treatment of Chronic Hepatitis B (EASL, 2017) recommended discontinuation criteria, that is, HBeAg-negative chronic hepatitis B patients without fibrosis or cirrhosis who have undetectable HBV DNA for more than 3 years after receiving NUC… Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 18 to 65 years
Conditions the study is for
Chronic Hepatitis B
What is being tested?
PegIFN alfa-2b and PegIFN alfa-2b and NUC
Type of treatment
Injection or infusion
Could I receive a placebo?
No, everyone receives an active treatment
How many people
360 participants
Where
1 siteChina
Study dates
1 Apr 2025to Apr 2029
Phase
Phase 4
Are there results?
Not yet: the study is under way

Key requirements

Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.

  • Ages 18 to 65 years
  • All sexes
  • No healthy volunteers
  • Adult, Older adult

Who may be able to join

  • Aged between 18 and 65 (inclusive), regardless of gender;
  • Fibroscan ≤ 7.4kpa;
  • HBeAg-negative CHB patients: HBsAg positive, HBeAg negative, HBsAb negative and HBeAb positive before receiving NUC treatment and during screening in this study;
  • HBeAg-negative chronic hepatitis B patients without liver cirrhosis who have been viral-negative for more than 3 years after receiving NUC treatment, and they meet the 2017 EASL guideline discontinuation standard (HBV DNA is lower than the lower limit of detection, that is, <20 IU/ml);
  • HBsAg≤1000 IU/ml;
  • Have the intention to stop taking the drug, and sign a written informed consent.

Who cannot join

  • HBsAb positive during screening;
  • Patients with hepatitis B cirrhosis in the compensatory and decompensated stage: patients with a clear history of cirrhosis (imaging or histological evidence) or Child-Pugh score ≥5 before NUC treatment, or complications of cirrhosis in the decompensated stage such as ascites, hepatic encephalopathy, esophageal variceal hemorrhage, etc.;
  • Patients who are allergic to alpha interferon and its drug ingredients, and the researchers judge that alpha interferon is not suitable for patients;
  • Received immunomodulators (including interferon, etc.) within 1 year before screening;
  • Combined with HAV, HCV, HDV, HEV, HIV infection, alcoholic liver disease, genetic metabolic liver disease, drug liver disease, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and other chronic liver diseases;
  • Combined with autoimmune diseases, including autoimmune liver disease, psoriasis, etc.
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  • Patients with primary liver cancer or screening with AFP greater than 100 ng/ml and imaging findings indicating the possibility of malignant liver occupation; Or AFP greater than 100 ng/ml for 3 months;
  • Neutrophil count < 1.5 x 109 cells /L or platelet count < 90 x 109 cells /L;
  • Creatinine is 1.5 times higher than the upper limit of normal;
  • Patients with other malignant tumors (excluding cured patients);
  • Patients with serious diseases of heart, lung, kidney, brain, blood and other important organs;
  • Patients with severe neurological and psychiatric disorders (such as epilepsy, depression, mania, seizures, schizophrenia, etc.);
  • Control unstable diabetes, hypertension, thyroid disease, etc.;
  • Pregnant and lactating women or patients who had pregnancy plans during the study period and did not want to use contraception;
  • Participate in other clinical investigators;
  • Patients who were not considered suitable for participation in this study by the investigators.

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.

Jiming Zhang, M.D. contact

jmzhang2006@gmail.com

China1 site
  • Huashan Hospital, Fudan University

    Shanghai, Shanghai Municipality, 200040

    Fahong Li, Doctor, 13524212580, minelihong@163.com

Other trials in China

About this study

Official title: A Prospective, Open-Label, Randomized, Controlled, Multicenter Clinical Study of Pegylated Interferon Alfa-2b in Reducing Relapse Rates After Nucleos(t)ide Analogue Withdrawal in HBeAg-Negative Chronic Hepatitis B Patients with Low-Level HBsAg

All enrolled patients must meet the European Guidelines for the Prevention and Treatment of Chronic Hepatitis B (EASL, 2017) recommended discontinuation criteria, that is, HBeAg-negative chronic hepatitis B patients without fibrosis or cirrhosis who have undetectable HBV DNA for more than 3 years after receiving NUC treatment can attempt to discontinue the drug. At the same time, the patient's HBsAg level will not be higher than 1000 IU/mL. The study will set up three groups, group A directly stopped nucleoside analogues, follow-up to 96 weeks; Group B received PegIFNα-2b monotherapy for 48 weeks, group C received PegIFNα-2b combined with NUC treatment for 48 weeks, group B and group C stopped all antiviral drugs after completing 48 weeks of treatment, and then followed up for 96 weeks, a total of 144 weeks of follow-up. This study aims to further optimize the design on the basis of previous clinical studies to observe whether sequential interferon or combined with NUC therapy can reduce the virological relapse rate of HBeAg-negative chronic hepatitis B patients with low HBsAg level after 96 weeks of discontinuation, and to observe the impact on the functional cure rate.

Being tested
PegIFN alfa-2b, PegIFN alfa-2b and NUC
Medical subject headings
Hepatitis B, Chronic

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

  • PegIFN alfa-2bDrug

    180 μg/ 0.5 ml ,hypodermic injection once a week

  • PegIFN alfa-2b and NUCDrug

    180 μg/ 0.5 ml ,hypodermic injection once a week, NUC drugs should be used according to the instructions of each drug

Study groups in NCT06900166
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
Controlled GroupNo interventionDirectly stopped NUC, follow-up to 96 weeks
PegIFN alfa-2b 48 weeksActive comparatorDiscontinue the NUC treatment ,PegIFN alfa-2b for 48 weeks and follow up for 96 weeks
Receives: Drug: PegIFN alfa-2b
PegIFN alfa-2b and NUC 48 weeksExperimentalDiscontinue the NUC treatment ,PegIFN alfa-2b and NUC for 48 weeks, then follow up for 96 weeks
Receives: Drug: PegIFN alfa-2b and NUC

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. Number of participants who relapse

    the cumulative virological relapse rate (HBV DNA>2000 IU/ml on 2 separate occasions 1 months apart) during the research period.

    Measured: 96 weeks after stopping NAs

Secondary outcomes (4)
  1. Number of participants who relapse

    The total number of relapse (HBV DNA>2000 IU/ml on 2 separate occasions 1 months apart) during the research period.

    Measured: 72 weeks after stopping all antivirals

  2. Number of participants who relapse Clinically

    Measured: 72 weeks and 96 weeks after stopping all antivirals

  3. Number of participants who achieve HBsAg clearance and HBsAg seroconversion

    Measured: 96 weeks after stopping all antivirals

  4. Number of participants who restart treatment

    Patients with virological relapse may be retreated according to the following criteria: 1) ALT >10×ULN, 2)ALT >5×ULN and total bilirubin >2 mg/dl, 3)ALT >3×ULN and HBV DNA >100,000 IU/ml, 4) ALT >ULN and HBV DNA >2,000 IU/ml for more than 3 months; 5) PT increases by more than 2s, while ALT >5×ULN.

    Measured: 96 weeks after stopping all antivirals

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted28 Mar 2025
  2. Study start1 Apr 2025 (estimated)
  3. Primary completion1 Apr 2029 (estimated)
  4. Study completionApr 2029 (estimated)

Resources

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design
Study type
Interventional
Phase
Phase 4
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Not applicable
Intervention model
Parallel groups
Masking
None (open label)
Enrolment
360 participants (estimated)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT06900166
Sponsor's protocol ID
CEASE2.0
Status last verified
Mar 2025
First submitted
21 Mar 2025
Last updated
28 Mar 2025
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
Individual data sharing
Undecided

Publications

  • Papatheodoridi M, Papachristou E, Moschidis Z, Hadziyannis E, Rigopoulou E, Zachou K, Villeret F, Magiorkinis G, Lyberopoulou A, Gatselis N, Vlachogiannakos I, Manolakopoulos S, Dalekos GN, Zoulim F, Paraskevis D, Papatheodoridis GV. Significance of serum HBV RNA in non-cirrhotic HBeAg-negative chronic hepatitis B patients who discontinue effective antiviral therapy. J Viral Hepat. 2022 Nov;29(11):948-957. doi: 10.1111/jvh.13729. Epub 2022 Aug 30.

    PubMed 35789515
  • Hirode G, Choi HSJ, Chen CH, Su TH, Seto WK, Van Hees S, Papatheodoridi M, Lens S, Wong G, Brakenhoff SM, Chien RN, Feld J, Sonneveld MJ, Chan HLY, Forns X, Papatheodoridis GV, Vanwolleghem T, Yuen MF, Hsu YC, Kao JH, Cornberg M, Hansen BE, Jeng WJ, Janssen HLA; RETRACT-B Study Group. Off-Therapy Response After Nucleos(t)ide Analogue Withdrawal in Patients With Chronic Hepatitis B: An International, Multicenter, Multiethnic Cohort (RETRACT-B Study). Gastroenterology. 2022 Mar;162(3):757-771.e4. doi: 10.1053/j.gastro.2021.11.002. Epub 2021 Nov 9.

    PubMed 34762906
  • Hall SAL, Burns GS, Anagnostou D, Vogrin S, Sundararajan V, Ratnam D, Levy MT, Lubel JS, Nicoll AJ, Strasser SI, Sievert W, Desmond PV, Ngu MC, Angus P, Sinclair M, Meredith C, Matthews G, Revill PA, Jackson K, Littlejohn M, Bowden DS, Locarnini SA, Visvanathan K, Thompson AJ. Stopping nucleot(s)ide analogues in non-cirrhotic HBeAg-negative chronic hepatitis B patients: HBsAg loss at 96 weeks is associated with low baseline HBsAg levels. Aliment Pharmacol Ther. 2022 Jul;56(2):310-320. doi: 10.1111/apt.16968. Epub 2022 May 6.

    PubMed 35521992
  • Liaw YF, Kao JH, Piratvisuth T, Chan HL, Chien RN, Liu CJ, Gane E, Locarnini S, Lim SG, Han KH, Amarapurkar D, Cooksley G, Jafri W, Mohamed R, Hou JL, Chuang WL, Lesmana LA, Sollano JD, Suh DJ, Omata M. Asian-Pacific consensus statement on the management of chronic hepatitis B: a 2012 update. Hepatol Int. 2012 Jun;6(3):531-61. doi: 10.1007/s12072-012-9365-4. Epub 2012 May 17.

    PubMed 26201469
  • European Association For The Study Of The Liver. EASL clinical practice guidelines: Management of chronic hepatitis B virus infection. J Hepatol. 2012 Jul;57(1):167-85. doi: 10.1016/j.jhep.2012.02.010. Epub 2012 Mar 20. No abstract available.

    PubMed 22436845
  • Lok AS, McMahon BJ. Chronic hepatitis B: update 2009. Hepatology. 2009 Sep;50(3):661-2. doi: 10.1002/hep.23190. No abstract available.

    PubMed 19714720

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A Phase 4 study testing PegIFN alfa-2b and PegIFN alfa-2b and NUC in people with Chronic Hepatitis B, run by Huashan Hospital at 1 site in China.

The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.

Who may be eligible to take part?

The sponsor lists 6 inclusion and 16 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.

Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?

The record says: opening soon, as of the sponsor's last update on 28 Mar 2025. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 1 site in China. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.

What are the possible benefits and risks?

They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

What does this phase mean?

Phase 4 studies take place after a treatment is approved, to learn more about its long-term benefits and risks in everyday use.

Not every study follows the same path, and some studies (observational studies, device studies) have no phase.

Are results available for this study?

This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

Contact Jiming Zhang, M.D. (jmzhang2006@gmail.com), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

Number of participants who relapse (time frame: 96 weeks after stopping NAs). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?

On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT06900166, which also lists 6 linked publications.

Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?

No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.

How often is this information updated?

AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 28 Mar 2025.

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