An experimental drug for chronic hepatitis B has cleared detectable virus levels in about one in five patients, according to a study releasedyesterday. The result raises optimism about a potential functional cure for a disease affecting more than 250 million people worldwide.
Hepatitis B is a viral infection spread through blood, semen, and other bodily fluids that can cause liver damage, cancer, and death (watch full breakdown). A vaccine prevents infection but doesn’t treat existing cases. Current therapies are lifelong and only suppress the virus, resulting in functional cures in 1% to 3% of patients. The new drug, bepirovirsen, blocks hepatitis B virus replication. In the study, 1,220 patients received weekly injections for 24 weeks, alongside standard antiviral pills. After six months, 19% of participants had no detectable virus. The drug awaits regulatory approval in the US, Japan, China, and Europe.
Globally, the chronic disease is most often transmitted from mother to child during birth. See regions with the highest number of infections.
