Results from two large clinical trials suggest that chronic hepatitis B may be treated with a new approach. The drug bepirovirsen enabled about one in five participants to achieve functional remission after completing the course. This means that viral DNA became undetectable, while HBsAg — the main marker of persistent infection — disappeared for at least 24 weeks after treatment ended.
Bepirovirsen works differently from standard drugs: it reduces the production of the viral HBsAg protein and may therefore help the immune system better control the infection. Conventional therapy mainly suppresses viral replication and often requires long-term, sometimes indefinite, use.
For a disease in which many patients have to take medication continuously, the possibility of completing a limited course and then maintaining control of the infection is a truly important step forward.
