Fan R, Zhou B, Xu M, et al. - Via performing a post-hoc analysis of data from a two-year multi-center randomized controlled trial, and its long-term extension trials, researchers ascertained if patients with negative results from tests for hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA and HBV RNA (double negative) at the end of treatment maintain a long-term response to treatment. The study sample consisted of 130 patients with chronic HBV infection who were positive for the HB e antigen (HBeAg-positive; mean age, 30.8 ± 6.9 years) and received telbivudine with or without adefovir and stopped therapy after they had HBeAg seroconversion and levels of HBV DNA < 300 copies/mL for at least 48 weeks (evaluation cohort). The authors correlated negative results from HBV DNA and RNA (double negative) tests at the end of treatment with continued response four or more years after discontinuation of therapy in HBeAg-positive patients in the analysis of data from two independent cohorts. These outcomes could be used to identify the best candidates for discontinuation of nuleos(t)ide analogue therapy.