Bepirovirsen for treating chronic hepatitis B

Bepirovirsen is currently in clinical development for the treatment of chronic hepatitis B in adults. Hepatitis B is a viral infection of the liver that is spread through blood, semen and vaginal fluids. Symptoms of hepatitis B infection include a high temperature, tiredness, pain in the upper tummy, feeling sick or being sick, patches of raised skin that may be itchy, yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes. If the infection lasts longer than 6 months, it is called chronic hepatitis B. If left untreated, chronic hepatitis B can cause liver damage and increase your risk of getting liver cancer. The processes leading to chronic infection are not fully understood but is thought to be due to a problem with the immune system. Current treatment with antiviral therapy, suppresses the hepatitis B virus from replicating, to reduce the likelihood of serious clinical disease developing. However, the ability of the virus to persist despite viral suppression with antiviral therapy means there is an unmet need for treatments, which directly lower and clear the presence of the virus.