Patent ID: 7291453

Claim:
A method for determining the potential for a mutated HBV to exhibit reduced sensitivity to a nucleoside analogue, said method comprising isolating DNA or corresponding mRNA from said mutated HBV and screening for one or more of the following mutations in the HBV DNA polymerase N584S, N584K, S/H584N/K, R588K, N/Q 584H, K587R, wherein the notation defines a codon number position of the HBV genotype with reference to codon 550 being methionine in the YMDD motif, the letter(s) proceeding the number in the notation being at least one wild-type or pre-mutation amino acid at said codon number position, and the letter(s) subsequent to the number in the notation being at least one post-mutation amino acid at said codon number position, wherein the presence of such a mutation is an indication of the likelihood of resistance to said nucleoside analogue.