Undisclosed HBV therapeutic / Kainos Medicine, Institut Pasteur Korea - LARVOL DELTA

Selected ginsenosides interfere efficiently with hepatitis B virus mRNA expression levels and suppress viral surface antigen secretion. (PubMed, Heliyon) - "Drug combination studies are performed in both HepG2.2.15 and HBV-infected HepG2-NTCPsec+ cell models with the selected ginsenosides and lamivudine (LMV), a nucleoside analogue used to treat chronic hepatitis B (CHB) infections. These studies, involving RT-qPCR and ELISA, suggest that Rh4/LMV combinations in particular act synergistically to inhibit the secretion of HBV particles and HBsAg. Therefore, on the assumption that appropriate in vivo data are in future agreement, Rh4, in particular, might be used in combination with nucleoside/nucleotide analogues (NUCs) to devise an effective, cost-efficient combination therapy for the treatment of patients with CHB infections."

Biomarker • Journal • Hepatitis B • Hepatology • Infectious Disease • Inflammation

Inclusion of hepatitis C virus testing in National Health Screening to accelerate HCV elimination in South Korea. (PubMed, Glob Health Med) - "The final decision to include HCV antibody test in National Health Screening will be made based on results of the pilot study in 2020. To eliminate hepatitis B & C by 2030 in South Korea, the KDCA established a comprehensive viral hepatitis control and management system in 2020 with the interim goal of achieving an antibody positive rate of 0.3% and treatment rate of 90% by 2025."

Journal • Review • Hepatitis B • Hepatitis C • Hepatology • Infectious Disease • Inflammation

Determination of infectious hepatitis B virus particles by an end-point dilution assay identifies a novel class of inhibitors. (PubMed, Antiviral Res) - "Furthermore, the assay was validated using serially diluted lamivudine, an HBV replication inhibitor, inhibiting HBV DNA secretion and infectious viral progeny by approx...Interestingly, we identified dexmedetomidine (DMM), an alpha-2 adrenergic agonist, inhibiting the secretion of infectious viral progeny by approx...We identified DMM as a novel inhibitor that exclusively interferes with the secretion of infectious HBV particles without affecting the secretion of HBV genomes. This end-point dilution assay enables the precise determination of the number of infectious HBV particles, assessment of the specific infectivity and stability of HBV particles, and identification of novel classes of HBV inhibitors."

Journal • Hepatitis B • Hepatology • Infectious Disease • Inflammation

A new high-content screening assay of the entire hepatitis B virus life cycle identifies novel antivirals. (PubMed, JHEP Rep) - "Patient-derived HBV genotype C was efficiently inhibited by fludarabine (EC 0.08 μM) and dexmedetomidine (EC 8.7 μM)...We used this system to screen drug libraries and identified novel anti-HBV inhibitors that potently inhibit HBV in various phases of its life cycle. This assay will be an important new tool to study the HBV life cycle and accelerate the development of novel therapeutic strategies."

Journal • Gastrointestinal Cancer • Hepatitis B • Hepatocellular Cancer • Hepatology • Infectious Disease • Inflammation • Novel Coronavirus Disease • Oncology • Respiratory Diseases • Solid Tumor