An experimental new treatment for chronic hepatitis B is raising hopes for what researchers call a potential "functional cure," a milestone that could change how the viral liver disease is managed in the future.
The investigational drug, called bepirovirsen and developed by GSK and Ionis Pharmaceuticals, showed promising results in two international clinical studies involving nearly 1,900 patients with chronic hepatitis B. Researchers found that roughly 20% of treated patients were able to stop therapy while maintaining undetectable levels of the virus for at least six months afterward.
