Abstract
Chronic hepatitis D is the most severe form of viral hepatitis. Currently, no drug has been approved for its treatment and pegylated interferon alpha remains the only recommended therapy, with dismal efficiency and important side effects. This review summarizes the recent advances in drug development for chronic hepatitis D. A better knowledge of virology of hepatitis D virus has led to the development of several drugs targeting different steps of the viral life cycle. Among them, bulevirtide (a viral entry inhibitor, formerly denominated as Myrcludex B), lonafarnib (a viral assembly inhibitor), REP-2139-Ca (an inhibitor of HBsAg secretion), and pegylated interferon lambda have shown promising results in phase II clinical trials. In the near future, new therapeutic options will be available for the treatment of chronic hepatitis D. However, no drug is currently under development targeting viral replication and an effective treatment strategy may require combination of several drugs.
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