Sebivo

Sebivo is an antiviral drug. Consider the main indications for its use, pharmacotherapeutic properties, dosage, side effects.

The drug is active against hepatitis B virus. This viral disease is characterized by damage to the liver tissue and a pronounced inflammatory process. The disease is transmitted by harmful microorganisms from person to person. Hepatitis B has an acute course that, when properly treated, ends in recovery. Otherwise, the pathology passes into a chronic form and can lead to a lethal outcome.

Indications of the sebivo

The main indications for the use of Sebivo are the treatment of chronic hepatitis B. The drug is prescribed to adults with confirmed viral replication and an active inflammatory process in the liver.

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Release form

Sebivo has a tablet form of release. The tablets are covered with an enteric coating, have a white color and an oval shape. Each capsule contains 600 mg of the active ingredient - telbivudine. Excipients are: microcrystalline cellulose, povidone, sodium carboxymethyl starch, magnesium stearate, silicon dioxide colloidal anhydrous. The drug is available in cardboard packages of 14 pieces in one blister.

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Pharmacodynamics

The active substance of the drug Sebivo is telbivudine. Pharmacodynamics of the drug is based on the activity of this component in relation to the infectious agent. Telbivudine is a synthetic analogue of thymidine nucleoside. It acts on the DNA polymerase of hepatitis B virus. It is actively phosphorylated by cellular kinases, reaching an active triphosphate form with an intracellular half-life of about 14 hours. 

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Pharmacokinetics

The process of absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion is a pharmacokinetics. After receiving a single dose of telbivudine in 600 mg, complete absorption is observed. The maximum concentration in the blood plasma is achieved two hours after admission. The constant concentration in serum develops during 5-7 days of regular use of tablets. Absorption and systemic action do not depend on food intake. Binding to blood plasma proteins is low. Distribution of tissues and organs is equal.

After reaching the maximum concentration, the half-life begins, which takes 40-49 hours. Telbivudine is excreted unchanged in the urine. About 42% of a single dose is excreted within 7 days. 

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Dosing and administration

For the treatment and prevention of chronic hepatitis B, 600 mg Sebivo is recommended. The method of application and dose depend on the severity of the course of the pathological process, therefore they are appointed by the attending physician, for each patient individually. If the medicine is prescribed to patients who are on hemodialysis, then the tablets are taken after the procedure. The course of treatment depends on the results of therapy in the early days of it.

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Use of the sebivo during pregnancy

Clinical data on safety of use during pregnancy Sebivo are absent. The drug can be used only if the expected benefit for the mother is higher than the potential risks to the fetus. Medication is not recommended during breastfeeding.

Contraindications

Sebivo has such contraindications to the application:

• The age of patients younger than 18 years.
• Pregnancy and lactation.
• Individual intolerance of the components of the drug.

With special care, the drug is prescribed for patients with impaired renal and hepatic function, after liver transplantation, for people over 65 years of age.

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Side effects of the sebivo

If the application of Sebivo is violated, it is possible to develop various adverse reactions. Side effects are most often manifested by such symptoms:

• Headaches and dizziness.
• Paresthesia.
• Cough and respiratory failure.
• Nausea, abdominal pain, stool disorders.
• Skin allergic reactions.
• Muscle spasms and pain in the side.
• Increased fatigue.

In some patients after the end of the drug, there were severe cases of exacerbation of hepatitis B.

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Overdose

The use of elevated doses of telbivudine may cause overdose symptoms. They show more pronounced adverse reactions. For treatment, withdrawal of the drug and maintenance symptomatic therapy are indicated.

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Interactions with other drugs

Very often in the treatment of chronic hepatitis B use a set of different medications. Interactions with other drugs should be strictly controlled. Sebivo is excreted mainly by the kidneys, so when it is concurrently taken with drugs that affect kidney function, an increase in the concentration of telbivudine is possible.

Pharmacokinetic properties of the drug do not change when used with Lamivudine, Dipivoxil, Peginterferon-alpha 2a or Cyclosporin. Sebivo is not recommended to be used simultaneously with interferon alpha. When monotherapy with nucleoside / nucleotide analogues of the drug or when combined with antiretroviral agents, it is possible to develop severe hepatomegaly with steatosis or lactic acidosis.

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Storage conditions

According to the storage conditions, the tablets should be kept in a place protected from sunlight, moisture and inaccessible to children. Storage temperature should not exceed 30 ° C. Failure to comply with these recommendations leads to premature deterioration of the drug.

Shelf life

Sebivo can be used for 36 months from the production date. Shelf life is indicated on the cardboard package of the preparation and blister with tablets. At the end of this period, tablets are not recommended to be taken.