Hepatitis B treatment Bepirovirsen shows promising results in B-Clear phase IIb trial: GSK

These interim analysis data were presented in an oral late-breaker session at the European Association for the Study of the Liver's International Liver Congress 2022 in London, UK. The final results from the study will be submitted for presentation at a scientific congress later this year, and for publication in a peer-reviewed journal.

Chris Corsico, SVP, Development, GSK, said: "Chronic hepatitis B affects nearly 300 million people with approximately 900,000 patients dying each year from its associated complications. These encouraging data support further investigation of bepirovirsen, both as monotherapy and in combination, as a potentially transformative new treatment option for patients with chronic hepatitis B."

Current treatment options have limited success in leading to functional cure, where the virus is not eliminated from the body but is at low levels that are undetectable in blood and can be controlled by the immune system without medication. The mainstay of therapy includes nucleoside/nucleotide analogues (NA) which are often taken for life because they suppress but rarely clear the virus. Bepirovirsen's unique mechanism of action works to reduce HBV replication, suppress HBsAg and stimulate the immune system. Bepirovirsen has the potential to lead to functional cure in patients with CHB.

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