Toward Elimination of Hepatitis B Virus Using Novel Drugs, Approaches, and Combined Modalities

Abstract

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) causes significant morbidity and mortality worldwide. The majority of chronically infected individuals do not achieve a functional and complete cure. Treated persons who achieve a long-term sustained virologic response (undetectable HBV DNA), are still at high risk of developing morbidity and mortality from liver complications. This review focuses on novel, mechanistically diverse anti-HBV therapeutic strategies currently in development or in clinical evaluation, and highlights new combination strategies that may contribute to full elimination of HBV DNA and covalently closed circular DNA from the infected liver, leading to a complete cure of chronic hepatitis B.

Keywords: Anti-HBV agents; Antiviral therapy; CRISPR/Cas9; HBV cure; HBsAg; cccDNA; siRNA.