Bepirovirsen Hepatitis B Drug: After almost two decades, a great hope has emerged in the treatment of Hepatitis B. A new experimental drug named Bepirovirsen has given such results in clinical trials conducted at the world level, due to which in future some patients may not need to take medicine throughout their life. However, experts say that the biggest challenge for India at present is not the new medicine, but reaching the crores of people who have this infection but are not even aware of it.

On the occasion of World Hepatitis Day (July 28), liver experts said that an estimated 3.5 crore people in India are living with Hepatitis B. Despite this, a large number of patients are never examined and the number of people undergoing treatment is less than 10 lakh.

Need to pay more attention to identification and treatment in India

Director of Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences, Dr. S.K. Sarin says that the biggest challenge before India is to identify the infected people, get them screened and connect them to timely treatment. According to him, the currently available antiviral drugs are not very expensive and are also available under the National Viral Hepatitis Control Programme. Despite this, only a small part of the needy patients are able to access treatment.

Phase-3 trial conducted in 29 countries

The Phase-3 clinical trial published in The New England Journal of Medicine included 1,834 patients from 29 countries. In the study, about 19 percent of the patients who were given bapirovirsen along with common antiviral drugs achieved what experts call ‘functional cure’. This means that the virus was not detected in his body even six months after stopping the treatment. Whereas no such result was found in patients taking placebo.

Big achievement after almost 20 years

Dr. Sarin described this study as the biggest achievement in the treatment of hepatitis B in almost 20 years. He says that this can prove to be a step that decides the direction of new medicines in the future. According to him, many new medicines are likely to be available for the treatment of this disease by the year 2030. However, the most important thing will be that these medicines are safe, get approval from regulatory bodies and are accessible to common patients.

How is the new medicine different from existing medicines?

The antiviral medicines used today do not completely eliminate the virus, but suppress its activity. This is the reason why most patients have to take medicine for a long time, sometimes their entire life. In contrast, bapirovirsen attempts to stop the activity of the virus early in its life cycle. This not only reduces the number of viruses but also reduces the production of those viral proteins, which weaken the body’s immune system. This is why experts are considering this as a different and important step in the field of treatment.

Why is ‘Functional Cure’ important?

According to Dr. Anil Arora, Chairman, Institute of Liver, Gastroenterology and Pancreato-Biliary Sciences, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, merely suppressing the virus and achieving functional cure are two different things. He says that if the patient reaches functional cure, the risk of serious complications like liver cirrhosis and liver cancer can be significantly reduced in future. Along with this, the possibility of spreading the infection to other people also reduces.

This medicine will not be for every patient

However, experts have also clarified that at present this medicine cannot be considered suitable for all patients. According to Dr. Sarin, the initial estimate is that those patients whose infection is already controlled with antiviral drugs and whose amount of virus in their body is less, will get the most benefit from it.

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The importance of vaccination still remains

Experts say that the new medicine should not be considered an option for prevention. Dr. Sarin stressed that universal vaccination of newborns remains the strongest strategy to eliminate hepatitis B. He advised that family members of infected patients, health workers, dialysis patients and other high-risk people should get themselves tested and ensure that they have been vaccinated against hepatitis B.

It may take 2 to 5 years to come to India

Experts estimate that after getting all the necessary approvals at the international level, it may take two to five years for this medicine to reach India. Apart from this, its price will also be a big issue. In such a situation, the most important step for India is considered to be to promote testing, timely treatment and vaccination of more and more people.

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Disclaimer: This information is based on research studies and expert opinion. Do not consider this as a substitute for medical advice. Before adopting any new activity or exercise, please consult your doctor or relevant specialist.

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