The Next Frontier in Hepatitis B Functional and Virologic Cure

In "The Next Frontier in Hepatitis B Functional and Virologic Cure," our experts look ahead to the combination strategies and novel mechanisms that could define the next decade of care.

Dr. Chung asks Dr. Dieterich what the chronic hepatitis B treatment landscape might look like over the next five to ten years, and what would convince him real progress has been made toward improving functional and virologic cure rates.

Dr. Dieterich points to combination trials pairing an agent that lowers surface antigen with a second drug designed to clear it entirely. He highlights monoclonal antibody trials showing promising early results, including one agent developed for hepatitis Delta that produces a dramatic drop in surface antigen levels. He also cites gene therapy trials aimed at de-integrating hepatitis B DNA from both cccDNA and the hepatocyte nuclear genome, cautioning that this approach remains earlier in development than the other strategies he describes. He acknowledges that COVID-19 substantially delayed hepatitis B research but says the field is now, in his words, firing on all cylinders, with many promising shots on goal across multiple distinct mechanisms of action.

Dr. Chung closes by reassuring viewers that patients are starting from a stable foundation with current nucleoside and nucleotide analog therapy, unlike the earlier days of hepatitis C treatment. He frames the emerging therapy classes discussed throughout the series as additional layers that can be added to existing standard of care to boost functional cure rates further, rather than replacements for a foundation that already works well. He expresses enthusiasm for what this means for patients and providers alike, thanking Dr. Dieterich for his insights before concluding the program on innovations in antiviral therapy for chronic hepatitis B, from clinical trials to practice.