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Bulevirtide is a first-in-class peptidic entry inhibitor for hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis D virus infection. In July, 2020, bulevirtide 2 mg received conditional marketing authorisation by the European Medical Agency for treatment of chronic hepatitis D virus infection. We investigated the antiviral activity of bulevirtide in patients chronically infected with HBV and hepatitis D virus.MYR202 (ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03546621; EudraCT, 2016-000395-13) was a multicentre, parallel-group, randomised, open-label, phase 2 trial. Adults (aged 18-65 years) with chronic hepatitis D virus infection, including patients with cirrhosis and patients who had contraindications to PegIFNα treatment or for whom treatment did not work, were eligible and were enrolled from four hospitals in Germany and 12 hospitals in Russia. Patients were randomly assigned (1:1:1:1) to receive 2 mg (n=28), 5 mg (n=32), or 10 mg (n=30) subcutaneous bulevirtide once per day with tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF; 245 mg once per day orally) or TDF alone (245 mg once per day orally; n=30) for 24 weeks. Randomisation was done using a digital block scheme with stratification, consisting of 480 randomisation numbers separated into 30 blocks. The primary endpoint was undetectable hepatitis D virus RNA or 2 logBetween Feb 16, 2016, and Dec 8, 2016, 171 patients with chronic hepatitis D virus infection were screened; 51 were ineligible based on the exclusion criteria and 120 patients (59 with cirrhosis) were enrolled. At week 24, 15 (54%, 95% CI 34-73) of 28 patients achieved undetectable hepatitis D virus RNA or a 2 logBulevirtide induced a significant decline in hepatitis D virus RNA over 24 weeks. After cessation of bulevirtide, hepatitis D virus RNA concentrations rebounded. Longer treatment durations and combination therapies should be investigated.Hepatera LLC, MYR GmbH, and the German Centre for Infection Research, TTU Hepatitis.

Background & Aims The therapeutic option for patients with chronic hepatitis delta virus infection (CHD) is limited to interferon alpha with rare curative outcome. Myrcludex B is a first-in-class entry inhibitor inactivating the hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis D virus (HDV) receptor sodium taurocholate co-transporting polypeptide. We report the interim results of a pilot trial on chronically infected HDV patients treated with myrcludex B, or pegylated interferon alpha (PegIFNα-2a) or their combination. Methods Twenty-four patients with CHD infection were equally randomized (1:1:1) to receive myrcludex B, or PegIFNα-2a or their combination. Patients were evaluated for virological and biochemical response and tolerability of the study drugs at weeks 12 and 24. Results Myrcludex B was well tolerated and no serious adverse event occurred. Although hepatitis B surface antigen levels remained unchanged, HDV RNA significantly declined at week 24 in all cohorts. HDV RNA became negative in two patients each in the Myrcludex B and PegIFNα-2a cohorts, and in five patients of the Myrcludex B+PegIFNα-2a cohort. ALT decreased significantly in the Myrcludex B cohort (six of eight patients), and HBV DNA was significantly reduced at week 24 in the Myrcludex B+PegIFNα-2a cohort. Virus kinetic modeling suggested a strong synergistic effect of myrcludex B and PegIFNα-2a on both HDV and HBV. Conclusions Myrcludex B showed a strong effect on HDV RNA serum levels and induced ALT normalization under monotherapy. Synergistic antiviral effects on HDV RNA and HBV DNA in the Myr-IFN cohort indicated a benefit of the combination of entry inhibition with PegIFNα-2a to treat CHD patients. Lay summary Myrcludex B is a new drug to treat hepatitis B and D infection. After 24weeks of treatment with myrcludex B and/or pegylated interferon α-2a, HDV R NA, a relevant marker for hepatitis D infection, decreased in all patients with chronic hepatitis B and D. Two of eight patients which received either myrcludex B or pegylated interferon α-2a, became negative for HDV RNA, and five of seven patients who received both drugs at the same time became negative. The drug was well tolerated.

The structure of HCV genotypes/subtypes and dynamics of its changes in a cohort of adult patients with chronic hepatitis C (n = 17229) was studied during 2008-2015 in the Moscow region. The prevalence of subtypes 1b and 3A HCV, whose relative density have made 47.5% (95%CI 46.8 - 48.3%) and 39.4% (95% CI 38.7 - 40.2 per cent) respectively was revealed. The average proportion of subtype 1A HCV was 5.4% (95%CI of 5.1 - 5.8%) and genotype 2 - 7.2% (95% CI 6,8 - 7,6%). It was established that the dynamics of 1b subtype HCV relative density was characterized by a moderate decline rate of 1.3% per year, while the proportion of subtype 3A HCV increased (+2.9% per year). The differences in the ratio of subtypes 1b and 3A HCV were revealed when dividing the patients by gender. The subtype 1b HCV was more frequently identified in women during the observation period. In the cohort of male patients a shift of the leading HCV subtype was detected - since 2010, the 3A subtype HCV was identified with a higher frequency than subtype 1b HCV. It was shown that in patients under 30 years the proportion of subtype 3A HCV was higher than in the age group older than 30 years, regardless of gender.

Background: The beginning of a new era of direct acting antivirals sets up its own rules, that is, to achieve the highest efficacy with the shortest duration of treatment. It is assumed that the use of the first generation of direct acting antivirals, similarly to interferon-free regimens, would allow for personalization of approaches to their prescriptions. Aim: To identify the most important parameters that can predict the greatest efficacy of triple antiviral therapy of 12 week duration in patients with chronic hepatitis C genotype 1. Materials and methods: The study included 204 patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype 1 at an early stage of liver disease (METAVIR score F0-F2), who were either treatment-naive or had a history of relapse after standard of care antiviral therapy. In addition to routine work-up, all patients were screened for IL28B polymorphism; in the course of the treatment viral kinetics was assessed by an ultrasensitive polymerase chain reaction (PCR) (with lower limit of quantification of 12 IU/ml). Duration of the triple therapy (pegylated interferon-α2a, ribavirin and telaprevir) was reduced to 12 weeks if a rapid virological response was achieved; otherwise the patients continued their treatment in according with guidelines. Results: A complete rapid virological response was achieved in 174 patients (81.6%), in whom the duration of triple therapy was 12 weeks. According to the protocol, 25 patients with a partial rapid virological response continued their standard antiviral therapy for 12 weeks more. In those who achieved a rapid virological response, there was an association between IL28B-CC genotype at rs12979860 and maintenance of zero viremia at 12 weeks after termination of antiviral therapy (r = 0.38, p < 0.001). In all such patients there was a stable virological response at 12 weeks of the follow-up. Monitoring of viral load after 14 days of antiviral treatment was not predictive of its success. The preliminary results of a shortened (12 week) course of triple telaprevir-based viral therapy allowed to identify the most significant parameters of 100% efficacy, i.e., absence of the virus in blood at 12 weeks after termination of antiviral therapy. Conclusion: A 12 week course of triple telaprevir-based combination therapy is an optimal regimen for achievement of a stable virological response after 12 weeks of the follow-up in treatment-naive patients with HCV genotype 1 or with a relapse after previous conventional antiviral treatment, who have IL28B – CC polymorphism, are at an early stage of liver disease and who achieve a rapid complete virological response confirmed by a highly sensitive PCR.