New treatment options for delta virus: Is a cure in sight?

Yurdaydin C.

JOURNAL OF VIRAL HEPATITIS, vol.26, no.6, pp.618-626, 2019 (SCI-Expanded) identifier identifier identifier

  • Publication Type: Article / Review
  • Volume: 26 Issue: 6
  • Publication Date: 2019
  • Doi Number: 10.1111/jvh.13081
  • Journal Name: JOURNAL OF VIRAL HEPATITIS
  • Journal Indexes: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus
  • Page Numbers: pp.618-626
  • Keywords: chronic hepatitis delta, interferon lambda, lonafarnib, myrcludex B, treatment, HEPATITIS-B-VIRUS, TREATMENT-NAIVE PATIENTS, LARGE SURFACE PROTEIN, INTERFERON-ALPHA 2A, RANDOMIZED PHASE 2B, CLINICAL-TRIAL, MYRCLUDEX B, OPEN-LABEL, PEGYLATED INTERFERON-ALPHA-2B, PRENYLATION INHIBITION
  • Ankara University Affiliated: Yes

Abstract

Current treatment of chronic hepatitis D viral infection with interferons is poorly tolerated and effective only in a minority of patients. Despite delta virus causing the most severe form of chronic viral hepatitis, no other treatments are available. After many years of inactivity, there is now hope for new treatment approaches for delta virus and some are likely to enter clinical practice in the near future. Four new treatment approaches are currently being evaluated in phase 2 studies. These involve the hepatocyte entry inhibitor myrcludex B, the farnesyl transferase inhibitor lonafarnib, the nucleic acid inhibitor REP 2139 Ca and pegylated interferon lambda. Results obtained so far are promising, and phase 3 studies are expected shortly. This review summarizes the available data on the efficacy and safety of these new drugs.