Unveiling the Silent Threat: Surprising Facts About Chronic Hepatitis Delta

Unveiling the Silent Threat: Surprising Facts About Chronic Hepatitis Delta

By Mark Eisner , M.D., M.P.H, Chief Medical Officer at Vir Biotechnology

When I joined Vir Biotechnology as Chief Medical Officer in early June, it was clear from the outset that I was joining a company at the forefront of potentially significant medical advancements. My first few weeks were exhilarating – meeting my peers on the executive management team, visiting our scientists in San Francisco and Bellinzona, Switzerland, and diving headfirst into our preliminary hepatitis delta data. I’ve been deeply impressed by the expertise and passion driving Vir’s mission, especially the commitment to our hepatitis programs.?

I am more determined than ever to help bring critical medicines to patients in need. As a physician trained in internal medicine, pulmonary, and critical care, I’ve always been fascinated by infectious diseases. My early career spent at UCSF, seeing patients, teaching students, and conducting clinical trials in the ICU on acute lung injury and severe infections, instilled in me a deep understanding of the urgent need for innovative therapeutics for patients in need.?

As we approach World Hepatitis Day on July 28, I want to take this opportunity to share some important, yet lesser-known facts about hepatitis delta, the most severe form of viral hepatitis.?

1. If You Have Hepatitis Delta, You Also are Infected with Hepatitis B: Hepatitis delta is a unique virus that cannot replicate on its own. It hijacks the hepatitis B virus to reproduce, making co-infection with hepatitis B a prerequisite. This dependency compounds the medical challenges because it can lead to more severe liver disease than chronic hepatitis B alone.?

2. Alarming Statistics: Compared to chronic hepatitis B, hepatitis delta carries a fourfold greater risk of liver cancer, twice the risk of death, and more than half of those diagnosed will ultimately succumb to liver disease, including liver cancer, within a decade.?

3. Underestimated Prevalence: It’s estimated that at least 12 million people worldwide live with chronic hepatitis delta. Unfortunately, the true scale may be much higher, as infections with chronic hepatitis delta aren’t tracked as rigorously by public health authorities. Consequently, the majority remain undiagnosed and untreated.?

4. Inadequate Screening: Despite the WHO’s ambitious goal to eliminate viral hepatitis by 2030, screening and diagnostic protocols for hepatitis delta lag far behind. The WHO recommends automatic reflex testing for hepatitis delta in individuals who test positive for hepatitis B. Unfortunately, this critical step isn’t yet a standard guideline in the U.S.?

5. Late Diagnoses: By the time many are diagnosed with hepatitis delta, their condition has often deteriorated to the point where they are eligible for liver transplants. This delay in diagnosis underscores the crucial need for better screening protocols.?

Vir Biotechnology’s Approach?

At Vir Biotechnology, we are focused on developing a safe and effective therapy that can drastically improve the lives of those affected by hepatitis delta.??

We’re leveraging the power of tobevibart, an investigational antibody engineered to clear hepatitis delta and hepatitis B virions while preventing liver cell infections. Additionally, elebsiran, our investigational siRNA, aims to stop the production of hepatitis B surface antigen, which the hepatitis delta virus requires for replication. Clinical trials with tobevibart and elebsiran are underway.?

Our preliminary data from the Phase 2 SOLSTICE trial underscores the potential of tobevibart and elebsiran to transform the treatment landscape for the millions of people living with this severe and life-threatening disease.?

We’re pushing forward with a sense of urgency, preparing to engage with regulatory authorities on the next development steps and exploring all possible acceleration pathways to bring our therapies to patients as swiftly as possible.?

As we approach World Hepatitis Day on July 28, we are reminded that global collaboration, heightened awareness, and innovative treatments are essential to eliminate viral hepatitis by 2030. Vir is proud to be part of this global effort, working tirelessly to develop new potential avenues of hope.?

Together, through awareness, better screening, and innovative treatments, we can pave the way towards dramatically altering the course of hepatitis delta and improving countless lives.?

Mark Eisner

Executive Vice President and Chief Medical Officer at Vir Biotechnology

4 个月

@Excited to share my article about Hepatitis Delta and the high unmet medical need around the world.

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