New Delhi: Increasing the use of existing medications to treat hepatitis B could significantly reduce deaths and liver-related complications, according to a new study published in The Lancet Gastroenterology & Hepatology. Researchers have emphasized that while current drugs cannot cure hepatitis B virus (HBV), they are effective, safe, and relatively affordable and remain widely underused.
HBV is responsible for more than 3,000 deaths every day, equating to over two lives lost every minute. The infection becomes chronic in many individuals, and of those, between 20 and 40 percent may die if left untreated.
"These medications are good drugs that are being badly underused," said John Tavis, Professor of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology at Saint Louis University School of Medicine. He added, "Less than 3 per cent of all people infected with HBV are receiving treatment, and the evidence suggests that many more people could benefit from treatment. If we get people on medication earlier, the net disease and death rate is going to be much less."
The study highlights that early treatment not only reduces the risk of disease progression but also limits long-term liver damage that accumulates over decades in chronic HBV cases. This damage can lead to serious outcomes such as liver cancer and liver failure.
In addition to physical health effects, the researchers noted the significant emotional, mental, and social burden of the disease. Hepatitis B is most commonly transmitted from an infected mother to her infant often unknowingly.
"The most common way the infection is passed along is from a mother with HBV to her infant," said Tavis. "Most mothers don't know they have the infection. And, the stress of learning that you passed along a deadly illness to your baby is unimaginable."
Though hepatitis B is not spread through casual contact, stigma and community-level impact remain significant.
"We know these drugs could reduce the incidence of liver cancer by two-thirds, or possibly even three-quarters. That's a big impact, saving millions of lives over time,” Tavis said.
The study calls for renewed efforts to increase testing and early treatment access, particularly in regions with high HBV prevalence, as part of global hepatitis elimination goals.
(With inputs from IANS)
