Trial of Lamivudine Treatment in HBeAg Negative Chronic Hepatitis B Patients (in Asia)

Inclusion Criteria: * Age=\>18 years * HBsAg positive and HBeAg negative for at least 6 months prior to screening * Serum HBV-DNA postiviet, HBeAg negative and HBeAb positive at the same timepoint on at least one occasion during the last 6 months * ALT \>1.5 to 10 x upper limit of normal for at least two occasions within the previous 6 months and at screening, or ALT \> upper limit normal and with at least one biochemical flare-up (ALT \> 200IU/l) in the last 12 months. * Informed writted consent * Liver biopsy material/ slides taken within the previous 12 months, and at least 5 months after any previous antiviral treatment which show evidence of active liver disease (ie. evidence of necroinflammatory activity) * Written informed consent Exclusion Criteria: * Hepatocellular carcinoma * ALT \> 10xULN at screening or history of acute exacerbation leading to transient decompensation * Serum hepatitis C, hepatitis D or HIV * Decompensated liver desease as indicated by any of the following: serum bilirubin \>3mg/dL, prothrombin time \>=2 seconds prolonged above upper limit of reference range, serum albumin \<28g/L, history of variceal haemorrhage, presence of intractable ascites at the screening assessment. * Encepalopathy * Planned for liver transplantation or previous liver transplantation * Evidence of autoimmune hepatitis * Amylase and/ or lipase \> 2 times upper limit of reference range * Serum creatinine \>1.5 times upper limit of reference range * Haemoglobin \< 11g/dL * WBC count \<3x10\^9/L * Platelets \<100x10\^9 * Serious concurrent medical illness other than hepatitis B * Use of immunosuppressive therapy, immunomodylatory therapy or chronic antiviral thgerpay with other agents within the previous 6 months or during the study * Previous treatment with lamivudine or famciclovir within the last 6 months * History of hypersensitivity to nucleoside analogues * Women of childbearing potential not practising adequate contraception * Pregnancy or lactation * Receipt of any investigational drug within 30 days of the first dose of study drug * Child-Pugh class B or C cirrhosis