Bulevirtide for chronic hepatitis delta virus infection

Bulevirtide is in clinical development for the treatment of chronic hepatitis Delta virus infection in adult patients with compensated liver disease. Hepatitis D is a viral infection of the liver that is dependent on the patient already being infected with hepatitis B virus. The co-infection is thought to be more severe and cause more damage to the liver than hepatitis B alone. Currently there are limited treatment options for the treatment of patients with chronic hepatitis D virus infection.
Bulevirtide is a synthetic protein that is designed to specifically to bind to and block, a receptor present on liver cells. This receptor is essential to hepatitis B and D viruses entering and infecting the liver cells. By blocking the entry of hepatitis D virus, bulevirtide limits the virus ability to spread and replicate, reducing the symptoms of infection. If licensed, bulevirtide will become the first-in-class potent entry inhibitor offering a new therapeutic option for patients suffering from chronic hepatitis delta virus infection for whom limited therapeutic regimens are available.