An experimental hepatitis B treatment developed by Ionis Pharmaceuticals and GlaxoSmithKline has achieved a functional cure in about 20% of patients with chronic hepatitis B infections, according to research published May 28 in The New England Journal of Medicine.
The drug, bepirovirsen, was evaluated in two 24-week studies involving more than 1,838 patients across 29 countries in Asia, Europe, and North and South America.
Researchers reported that no virus was detectable 48 weeks after treatment ended in about 20% of patients who received the therapy. No patients in the placebo group achieved a functional cure.
The weekly injection prevents the hepatitis B virus from replicating and helps the immune system attack infected cells. Ionis has applied to the FDA for approval of the drug, and a regulatory decision is expected by Oct. 26.
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