Is there a cure for hepatitis B?
There is no cure or medication that totally eliminates the virus or makes HBsAg negative, but there is hope. There are approved therapies for hepatitis B and many in development. First-line therapies in the U.S. and globally are entecavir, tenofovir (TDF) and tenofovir (TAF), which are antivirals. Sometimes, pegylated interferon is used. These drugs control and manage the virus and reduce potential liver damage. The virus is suppressed, liver enzymes and liver function tests may normalize and the liver is better able to heal. In rare cases, they may even get rid of the virus (HBsAg negative).
You might be interested in the recent Commentary on the Cure by Dr. Timothy Block, president of the Hepatitis B Foundation; Dr. Chari Cohen, our senior vice president; and Maureen Kamischke, the Foundation's patient engagement and consult specialist.
You might also listen to this podcast by HBF’s Dr. Tim Block, the co-founder of the Hepatitis B Foundation about efforts to find a cure, and how the time is right for these great medical discoveries to be achieved sometime soon.
For a complete list of FDA-approved drugs and other promising drugs in development for hepatitis B, visit our Drug Watch page.
Additional Resources:
- Progress toward a cure podcast
- Adults living with hepatitis B
- Learn more about clinical trials and new drugs in development here
- Learn about the drug development process here
Find more Frequently Asked Questions here.
Page updated 02/09/2022