Patient description: The patient is a 55-year-old man diagnosed with HCV 2 years ago and the recent coinfection with HBV. His past medical history is non-significant. He is on IFN, RBV and direct antiviral drugs for the past 6 months. The patient takes no other medications. His medical records show previous positive HCV RNA tests and a positive enzyme immunoassay for anti-HCV-antibodies. The recent biopsy was negative for hepatocellular carcinoma and was only remarkable for chronic inflammation compatible with a chronic viral hepatitis. There is no evidence of alcoholic liver disease, bleeding from esophageal varices, hemochromatosis, autoimmune hepatitis, or metabolic liver disease. He is an alert male with no acute distress. His BP: 130/75, HR: 90/min and BMI: 27. His abdomen is soft with no ascites or tenderness. The lower extremities are normal with no edema.

Clinical trial eligibility criteria: eligible ages (years): 18.0-70.0,  Chronic Hepatitis B Male and female patients > 18 and ≤ 70 years of age Positive HBsAg for more than 6 months Negative for HBeAg for more than 6 months HBV DNA < 2.0 E04 IU/mL Serum ALT < 5 * ULN as determined by two values taken >14 days apart during the six months before the first dose of study drug with at least one of the determinations obtained during the screening period Negative urine or serum pregnancy test (for women of childbearing potential) documented within the 24-hour period prior to the first dose of test drug  Patients co-infected with HCV, HIV or who have decompensated liver disease, hepato-cellular carcinoma, significant cardiac disease, significant renal disease, seizure disorders or severe retinopathy Patients who have received nucleos(t)ide analogues for their chronic hepatitis B within 6 weeks before enrollment or have received Peg-IFN within 3 months before enrollment Patients must not have received any other systemic anti-viral, anti-neoplastic or immuno-modulatory treatment (including supraphysiologic doses of steroids or radiation) <3 months prior to the first dose of study drug or the expectation that such treatment will be needed at any time during the study Positive test at screening for anti-HAV IgM, anti-HIV, HCV RNA. (Patients that have cleared the hepatitis C virus can be included in the study) Patients who are expected to need systemic antiviral therapy other than that provided by the study at any time during their participation in the study are also excluded. Exception: patients who have had a limited (<7 day) course of acyclovir for herpetic lesions more than 1 month prior to the first administration of test drug are not excluded Evidence of decompensated liver disease (Child pugh B-C) Serum total bilirubin > twice the upper limit of normal at screening History or other evidence of bleeding from esophageal varices or other conditions consistent with decompensated liver disease History or other evidence of a medical condition associated with chronic liver disease other than HBV (e.g., hemochromatosis, autoimmune hepatitis, metabolic liver diseases including Wilson's disease and alfa1-antitrypsin deficiency, alcoholic liver disease, toxin exposures, thalassemia) Women with ongoing pregnancy or who are breast feeding