The Liver Meeting 2019-Emerging Therapies

Video Transcription

Video Summary

In the video transcript, Dr. Jordan Feld discussed the challenges and goals of therapy for hepatitis B, focusing on the concept of achieving a functional cure rather than complete eradication of the virus. He explained that the ultimate goal would be to eliminate all traces of hepatitis B from the liver, similar to what has been achieved for hepatitis C. However, due to the long-lasting reservoir of covalently closed circular DNA in the liver, a functional cure may be more feasible. Dr. Feld highlighted the importance of targeting both virological and immunological aspects of the disease and mentioned different approaches such as targeting entry of the virus, CCC DNA, viral transcripts, packaging, and immune control. He also discussed the potential role of new emerging therapies, such as capsid assembly modulators and RIG-I agonists, in achieving a functional cure. Furthermore, he addressed the challenges of immunotherapies, the complexity of combining different treatment strategies, and the need for further research in developing effective therapies for hepatitis B. Dr. Feld also fielded questions related to treatment strategies, monitoring of patients, and the rationale for delaying treatment in certain patient populations.

Asset Caption

Presenter: Harry L.A. Janssen

Keywords

therapy for hepatitis B

functional cure

covalently closed circular DNA

virological aspects

immunological aspects

capsid assembly modulators

RIG-I agonists