“Encouraging early reductions in HBV RNA and quantitative serum HBeAg were observed,” Dr. Yuen said. He noted that the longer-term safety and efficacy of the novel agent in combination with peg-IFN alpha-2a and first-line HBV NAs will now be further assessed in phase II studies.
“At the moment we do not have a cure for hepatitis B, only treatment,” said Dr. Frank Tacke of the University Hospital Aachen (Germany), who chaired the press briefing where Dr. Yuen first aired the findings. NVR 3-788 represents “a totally new approach to this disease that we hope will lead to a cure,” Dr. Tacke said.
In an EASL-issued press release, Dr. Tacke also noted: “The results from this study are certainly interesting and promising for the treatment of patients with hepatitis B. The medical community is always on the lookout for treatments which can cure this condition, as opposed to simply suppressing the replication of the virus. More research is needed to confirm whether NVR 3-778 could really change the treatment paradigm.”
Novira Therapeutics financed the study. Dr. Yuen has been a consultant, speaker, or both for Arrowhead, Bristol-Myers Squibb, GlaxoSmithKline, Gilead, Novartis, and Roche. Dr. Tacke did not have any relevant disclosures.