New Drugs to cure Hep B?

General Discussion
#42

This is a good observation, @Bonzai123. @john.tavis has given great insight as someone in the research field for a long time, particularly during that period in which you’re talking about.

Just to add onto the effect of the HBV vaccine slowing down research for a Hep B cure, I think HIV research also did the same. As HIV drugs (nucleos/tide analogues such as lamivudine, clevudine, tenofovir, etc.) were found to lower the Hep B replication, liver inflammation and disease progression, this also lowered the drive of the field to try to find a cure (particularly when there was this very new and deadly HCV just discovered). Back then, the priorities (and funding) shifted because it was felt that we at least had some control for Hep B patients.

But now we know a lot more about Hep B and now have chances to finally cure the infection. Scientists are a lot more hopeful and can better see how important this is to patients. This is due to a major part to advocacy at various levels and in countries across the world. Many individual Hep B scientists never stopped working on HBV, but now they are better resourced to do what they do best and can then attract more students/staff to work for them on this important topic.

TT

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#43

@ThomasTu @john.tavis thank you both for your responses. I have my first appointment with my specialist next Tuesday and I am very nervous to see my levels and whether there is damage to my liver. Reading your responses to the the myriad of questions from others on this forum has been very helpful to me. Knowing that there is a concentrated effort and potential timelines for better therapies and maybe one day a cure for this disease makes it easier to get up each day. Thank you for your research and diligent efforts.

3 Likes
#44

Hello!

Did anyone amongst us join the workshop on 30th Nov organised by ANRS for progress made so far on HBV cure? Is there a transcript available? @Joan_Block @ThomasTu @john.tavis

Also, from the twitter handle of TherVacB I understand clinical trials are starting from July 2022. It seems very promising but there are no centers in South East Asia. It is a bit disappointing as after getting to know my status I have been hearing about a lot of infected people around me. I hope the trials become successful in Europe and are soon launched in India and Nepal also.

Many thanks in advance.

#45

Unfortunately, it was too late for me. Hopefully there will be a recording available soon.

Cheers,
Thomas

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#46

Thanks @ThomasTu … I read your interview with Gavi. With champions like you we have more and more people talking about the virus. Cheers!

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#48

Sorry but shouldn’t be generic entecavir and Baraclude the same?
I switched from Baraclude to generic some months ago and interested to know if they both have the same suppression efficacy and side effects.

#49

Hi Chersich,
I assume the generic medicine should be the as same as the name brand. However, I was not tolerant well with generic, so I switch back to Baraclude. I am taking Baraclude for more than 10 years now. Alt maintain low and undetectable DNA for a long time too.

#50

Yes, the active ingredient is the same in both cases.

Thomas

#51

Hello! TherVacc has been delayed again for a year? Does anybody know why? Is there any problem with the vaccine or just bureaucracy?

#52

I am CNN. Curious if this (TherVacc t rt ials status in relation to human tr itals )ever got a response? Field Trials began or still pending? There were comments on a Tanzania based site.

#53

Anyone able to comment?

#54

Not sure, @CNN. But many clinical trials have been quite delayed due to COVID restrictions.

Cheers,
Thomas

1 Like
#55

Does any of our scientist and experts part of this research. Such articles is the fuel that keeps us moving in hope that cure will come soon.
I would love to hear what our experts will say on this.
Thanks.

#56

Dear 12345678,

Unfortunately, this kind of press serves more to create hype around a particular technology than actually provide real evidence of the potential to achieve functional cure. This of course can be very misleading for patients who in many cases are desperate for a drug which can achieve functional cure.

(Disclosure here I am an the Chief Scientific Officer of Replicor Inc, a Canadian biotech developing a drug for treating HBV).

In the case of the GSK drug in question (bepirovrisen), the study in question (presented at the EASL liver conference last week) demonstrated that the HBsAg responses to this drug are occurring by stimulation of the innate immune response instead of the initial mechanism of action proposed for this drug (antisense-mediated degradation of HBV mRNA). This recent acknowledgement of the correct mechanism of action for this drug is actually in line with its limited effect on HBsAg during treatment but has no impact on any progress towards functional cure.

I urge all HBV patients to be very careful with interpreting media surrounding drugs in development the HBV space.

Best regards,

#57

I personally think the “cure” is the vaccines and vaccinations at birth. Other than that, it’s treatment for the rest.

I do hope they find a cure. Is functional cure the same as a cure?