Global Hepatitis B Epidemic Treatable at Cost of Just $36 per Patient per Year

Large-scale production of generic entecavir (Baraclude) could cut the cost of first-line hepatitis B virus (HBV) therapy to just $36 per patient per year, according to a study published in the online edition of the Journal of Virus Eradication. The authors believe that this price could facilitate low-cost global therapy for hepatitis B. The cost of scaled-up generic production of entecavir was shown to be significantly cheaper than that associated with alternative therapies, including tenofovir (Viread).

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AASLD 2014: Experimental siRNA Therapy Lowers HBsAg Levels in Hepatitis B Patients

ARC-520, a novel therapy using short interfering RNA, appeared safe and was associated with a reduction in hepatitis B surface antigen levels in chronic hepatitis B patients taking entecavir, according to Phase 2a study results reported at the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD) Liver Meeting last month in Boston.

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World Health Organization Issues First Hepatitis B Prevention and Treatment Guidelines

The World Health Organization (WHO) released its first-ever guidelines for the prevention, care, and treatment of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, a major cause of illness and death worldwide. For treatment, WHO recommends the antivirals tenofovir (Viread) or entecavir (Baraclude), and says that people with liver cirrhosis need treatment most urgently.

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AASLD 2014: Entecavir and Tenofovir Work Well for People with Resistant Hepatitis B Virus

A combination of entecavir plus tenofovir effectively suppressed hepatitis B virus (HBV) in people with resistance to other antivirals, according to results from the ENTEBE study presented at the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD) Liver Meeting last month in Boston. Another study, however, showed that for some resistant patients, tenofovir worked equally well on its own.

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Gut Microbes May Play a Role in Age-Related Hepatitis B Virus Clearance

Treating adult mice with antibiotics to wipe out their intestinal microbiota made them unable to naturally clear hepatitis B virus (HBV), so they became more like young mice that developed chronic infection, according to a report in the February 2 Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The researchers also showed that mice lacking toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) cleared HBV regardless of age.

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Coverage of the 2014 AASLD Liver Meeting

HIVandHepatitis.com coverage of the 65th Annual Meeting of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD 2014) in Boston, November 7-11, 2014.

Conference highlights include new interferon-free therapy for hepatitis C -- including options for people with cirrhosis, and liver transplant recipients -- treatment for hepatitis B, and prevention and management of advanced liver disease.

Full listing by topic

The Liver Meeting website

12/2/14

11. Hepatitis B: Interferon Boosts Cure Rate, Tenofovir Works Long-Term

Compared with hepatitis C and HIV, the hepatitis B treatment field moves slowly, but a number of studies presented in 2014 advanced knowledge about how best to treat chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) with existing therapies and offered some promising agents in the pipeline. 

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Coverage of the 2014 AASLD Liver Meeting

HIVandHepatitis.com coverage of the 65th Annual Meeting of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD 2014) in Boston, November 7-11, 2014.

Conference highlights include new interferon-free therapy for hepatitis C -- including options for people with cirrhosis, and liver transplant recipients -- treatment for hepatitis B, and prevention and management of advanced liver disease.

Full listing by topic

The Liver Meeting website

12/2/14