2018 latest news on hepatitis b cure
As of 2018, there is no cure for hepatitis B, but there are several treatments available that can help manage the disease and reduce the risk of complications. Here are some of the latest developments and news on hepatitis B cure:
- New treatments approved: In 2018, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved two new treatments for hepatitis B: Vemlidy (tenofovir alafenamide) and Pegasys (peginterferon alfa-2a). Vemlidy is a once-daily pill that is used to treat chronic hepatitis B in adults with compensated liver disease, while Pegasys is a weekly injection that is used to treat chronic hepatitis B in adults with compensated liver disease.
- Cure rates improving: Studies have shown that cure rates for hepatitis B are improving with the use of new treatments. For example, a study published in the Journal of Hepatology found that 90% of patients with chronic hepatitis B who received treatment with Vemlidy achieved undetectable levels of the virus in their blood after 48 weeks of treatment.
- Hepatitis B vaccine shows promise: Researchers have been exploring the use of a hepatitis B vaccine as a potential cure for the disease. A study published in the journal Science Translational Medicine found that a new hepatitis B vaccine was able to induce a strong immune response in patients with chronic hepatitis B, and that the vaccine was able to reduce the levels of the virus in their blood.
- Gene therapy shows promise: Gene therapy is a type of treatment that involves introducing a healthy copy of a gene into a patient's cells to replace a faulty or missing gene. Researchers have been exploring the use of gene therapy as a potential cure for hepatitis B. A study published in the journal Nature Medicine found that a gene therapy treatment was able to cure hepatitis B in mice, and that the treatment was able to reduce the levels of the virus in their blood.
- New combination therapies: Researchers are also exploring the use of combination therapies to treat hepatitis B. A study published in the Journal of Infectious Diseases found that a combination of Vemlidy and Pegasys was able to achieve higher cure rates than Vemlidy alone in patients with chronic hepatitis B.
Some of the latest news on hepatitis B cure includes:
- In October 2018, the FDA approved a new indication for Vemlidy, allowing it to be used to treat chronic hepatitis B in adults with compensated liver disease.
- In September 2018, researchers announced that they had made a breakthrough in the development of a hepatitis B vaccine, which was able to induce a strong immune response in patients with chronic hepatitis B.
- In August 2018, a study published in the Journal of Hepatology found that a combination of Vemlidy and Pegasys was able to achieve higher cure rates than Vemlidy alone in patients with chronic hepatitis B.
- In July 2018, researchers announced that they had made a breakthrough in the development of a gene therapy treatment for hepatitis B, which was able to cure the disease in mice.
Overall, while there is no cure for hepatitis B, there are several treatments available that can help manage the disease and reduce the risk of complications. Researchers are continuing to explore new treatments and therapies, including vaccines and gene therapy, which may one day lead to a cure for the disease.