Scientists Find a Potential Cure for Chronic Hepatitis B
The New York Times • • business
Key Points:
- A new drug called bepirovirsen has achieved a functional cure in about 20% of patients with chronic hepatitis B, marking the first major treatment advance in decades.
- Bepirovirsen, developed by Ionis Pharmaceuticals and GlaxoSmithKline, works by preventing the virus from replicating and boosting the immune response, administered via weekly injections.
- The drug was tested in two 24-week global studies involving over 1,800 patients, with no functional cures observed in placebo groups.
- Current treatments for chronic hepatitis B require lifelong management and do not eliminate the virus or the risk of liver cancer, whereas bepirovirsen made the virus undetectable 48 weeks after treatment ended.
- Ionis has applied for FDA approval, with a decision anticipated by October 26; however, some patient groups, such as those with cirrhosis or HIV, were excluded from the studies.