Hepatitis E infects millions of people and causes 70,000 deaths annually. The worst part is that there is no approved treatment and vaccine for hepatitis E.
Individuals with persistently weakened immunity face a higher risk of mortality than those with healthy immune systems. So far the only weapon against the hepatitis E virus is a strong immune system.
A new drug being tested for hepatitis C has shown effective results against the hepatitis E virus.
In a collaborative study conducted by German and Chinese researchers, the team screened a library of 500 antiviral compounds using a modified, fluorescent version of HEV (hepatitis E virus) to monitor viral growth in cell cultures.
According to the findings published in the journal Intestine, Bemnifosbuvir, a nucleotide or nucleoside analog, has emerged as the most promising candidate.
Bemnifosbuvir, a drug currently in pivotal trials for hepatitis C, has proven effective against HEV by inhibiting virus replication without seeking healthy cells.
According to Jungen Hu of the University of Heidelberg, “With bemnifosbuvir we were able to see that the virus no longer replicated, while the treated cells remained healthy.”
Dr. Viet Loan Dao Thi and Professor EK Steinmann said, “If the ongoing clinical trials of bemnifosbuvir against hepatitis C are successful, the drug may soon be available for off-label use against hepatitis E as well.”
The drug was also tested in animals, which showed a reduction in both liver inflammation and viral activity.
